It's been almost 15 years since Jon Bernthal's breakout role as Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead came to an end. Now, Bernthal is headed to the biggest year of his career in 2026.
So far, Bernthal has already starred in the biggest TV show of 2026 not named Stranger Things, appeared in two hit TV specials, and could appear in the final season of FX's best show of the last decade. On top of all that, Bernthal is starring in two of the biggest movies of 2026.
Netflix's His and Hers is the breakout hit of the year
His and Hers, a new Netflix thriller based on Alice Feeney's novel of the same name, premiered on Netflix in early January. Bernthal starred in the series alongside Tessa Thompson. The show became a massive hit right out of the gate, and that momentum never slowed down.
The series tells the story of a detective, played by Bernthal, who investigates a murder in a small Georgia town. Thompson plays a reporter from a major news outlet trying to revive her career after a few years of turmoil. Their shared history gets in the way.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings, His and Hers is the second biggest show of the last 12 months, behind Stranger Things 5. That's an incredible achievement for a limited series. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend checking it out!
Bernthal also starred in specials for The Punisher and The Bear
In addition to Bernthal's hit series His and Hers, he also starred in two of the most popular TV specials of the year. After appearing as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again last year, Bernthal reprised the role for The Punisher: One Last Kill, a special that arrived on Disney+ on May 12. In the special, Frank Castle, also known as The Punisher, tries to stop the Gnucci Crime Family from taking over the city.
Despite some not-so-great reviews, The Punisher: One Last Kill was a big success, and continues to be, on Disney+.
A week before The Punisher special, FX and Hulu dropped a surprise episode of The Bear, titled "Gary," starring Bernthal and co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The Bear stars also starred in The Punisher, the first season of the Netflix original series. In this new special, Richie (Moss-Bachrach) and Mikey (Bernthal) take a little trip for business to Gary, Indiana.
It was such a good surprise for The Bear fans who are looking forward to the final season of the series this month.
The Bear season 5 premieres on FX and Hulu on June 25. If Bernthal's appearance in the special is any indication, there's a good chance that we could see him back for at least an episode or so of the final season. We'll be keeping a close eye on that!
Bernthal also stars in The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Despite all the big successes The Walking Dead star has appreciated so far this year, the best might be yet to come. Bernthal is set to star in two of the year's biggest movies, The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Based on Homer's classic work, The Odyssey, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, follows Odysseus (Matt Damon) on his quest to return to his home following the Trojan War. In the film, which is packed with the world's biggest movie stars, Bernthal stars as Menelaus, the King of Sparta.
The Odyssey premieres in theaters around the world on July 17, 2026.
Less than two weeks later, Bernthal becomes Frank Castle/The Punisher one more time in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In the film, he stars alongside Tom Holland, who plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
After the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter is struggling to find his way in the world after the world forgets him because of Dr. Strange's weird spell. Then, he meets Frank Castle.
There's no doubt that these two movies are going to be two of the biggest movies of the year. I think there's a good chance both movies starring Bernthal have a chance to gross more than $1 billion during their theatrical runs.
If you're a fan of Bernthal, it's already been a great year, and it's about to get even better. Stay tuned for more news about the Walking Dead star's upcoming projects.
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