Bernthal talked about how he still carries a torch for the role that helped catapult him to his current fame in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. He is in my heart, man. He said that he was very protective of Frank. He hasn't played the character in a while, but he's still grateful for the time he had to explore Frank's darkness.
Bernthal was emphatic that it couldn't be sanded down to fit the usual MCU tone, since that's a thing anyone can do now. If there is any let up on that character, you do a disservice to the character, to every iteration of the character, and to all of the unbelievable fans of the character. It needs to be a level of darkness that is not about whether you do the character or not, but whether you can do it right.
Bernthal has some doubts about how the MCU will tackle the Punisher when he shows up. The films and shows have mostly been family friendly, and even some of the heavier material like What If or Eternals sometimes brushes these instances off or loops them back around to standard happy endings that also set up sequels. Time will tell if Disney is willing to let the MCU stew in the darkness that made Daredevil, Punisher, and Jessica Jones compelling to watch for multiple seasons, or if their rendition of Frank Castle will just be a good guy with a gun.
Wondering where our feed went? The new one can be picked up here.
