[Watch] Jon Bernthal Throws Down in Intense Street Fight in Latest ‘Punisher’ Special Set Leak

Jon Bernthal is back in action as Frank Castle, and Marvel fans are already buzzing. A brand-new set video has surfaced online showing Bernthal in the middle of an intense street fight while filming the upcoming Punisher special for Disney+. The clip, shared by onlookers in New York, shows the actor going all out in a gritty brawl with multiple thugs, which instantly reminded fans why his version of the Punisher became such a fan favorite.

Jon Bernthal filming #ThePunisher special ☠️🎬 pic.twitter.com/Ub28wTsRXP

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The untitled Punisher television special is part of Marvel Studios’ Phase Six and will debut in 2026. According to Marvel Studios, it’s the third official Special Presentation in the MCU, following in the style of projects like Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The story will connect to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe while focusing on Castle’s brutal war against the criminal underworld.

Jon Bernthal first played the role in Netflix’s The Punisher from 2017 to 2019, before reprising it in the upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again. His portrayal has been widely praised for its raw intensity and emotional depth. After the original series was canceled in 2019, Marvel fans wondered if they’d ever see Bernthal as the Punisher again.

That changed in 2023 when he officially joined Born Again, and by early 2025, it was confirmed that he and director Reinaldo Marcus Green were working on a standalone Punisher project.

Speaking with Marvel, Bernthal said he didn’t just want to be handed the special without earning it. “They’ve held me accountable to every step along the way. I really want to earn this and I really want this to be good,” he explained. Marvel Studios’ head of streaming, Brad Winderbaum, also praised Bernthal, saying the actor had turned the Punisher into an “icon.”

The project is being co-written by Bernthal and Green, who previously worked together on King Richard and the miniseries We Own This City. This will actually be the first Marvel project based on Bernthal’s own writing. It’s also expected to carry a TV-MA rating, which means Marvel won’t be holding back on the violence and grit that Punisher fans expect.

The cast also includes Jason R. Moore, who returns as Curtis Hoyle, one of Castle’s few allies, and Roe Rancell in an undisclosed role. The special is rumored to feature the villain Ma Gnucci, a notorious figure from Punisher comics.

Filming began in mid-July under the working title Jolly Roger. Production has been spotted across New York City, including Jamaica Avenue in Queens and near Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Fans even noticed a storefront labeled “Gnucci’s Family Restaurant,” teasing the possible introduction of the Gnucci crime family into the MCU.

With the leaked fight scene making the rounds online, excitement is only growing. If the rest of the special matches the intensity of that brawl, Marvel’s upcoming Punisher project could deliver exactly what fans have been waiting for, a raw, unfiltered return for one of the MCU’s most dangerous antiheroes.

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