The Walking Dead franchise has featured some major star-power over the years. Some of those stars were already well-established names in the industry before they joined the cast of the show, while others became household names due to their role in the TWD Universe. That's the power of this beloved saga. And it goes without saying that one of the biggest stars to emerge from the zombie drama is Jon Bernthal, who played Shane Walsh.
He has gone on to have an incredible career since leaving the show and now he's set to reprise his other most famous role in a major capacity (The Punisher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), bringing him to the big screen in a Marvel franchise first. And we can't wait to see him do that.
Jon Bernthal brings The Punisher to an MCU movie for the first time ever
Jon Bernthal is officially starring in Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The film, which is set to arrive in movie theaters on July 31, just had its first trailer revealed to the world. It marked a record-breaking debut, too, as it received a whopping 718.6 million global views within its first 24 hours. It also featured the first look at Bernthal in the movie, officially confirming a long-standing report that he would be involved.
The Walking Dead alum portrays The Punisher, a.k.a. Frank Castle, in the movie, reprising his role from the Marvel TV series Daredevil, The Punisher, and Daredevil: Born Again. The rough-talking, hardened vigilante may have been a regular of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a full decade at this point, but it's pretty epic seeing him opposite Spidey because this marks his official MCU movie debut. And, as we know that the MCU was once all about movies, that's a pretty big deal.
Bernthal originally played the Punisher character in Netflix's Daredevil series, appearing in the second season. His popular approach to the character resulted in Netflix greenlighting a spinoff focused on the anti-hero. The Punisher ran for two seasons until the demise of the Netflix Marvel Universe. Now, years later, Marvel Studios has officially brought Frank Castle back via Disney Plus revival Daredevil: Born Again. This has once again led to a spinoff for Frank as Bernthal is set to headline his own Special Presentation for the Disney Plus streaming service this summer - alongside his heavily-anticipated return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Speaking of Spider-Man, that film is arguably his most significant appearance yet now that it will officially bring Bernthal's iteration of The Punisher to the silver screen - a place he was always worthy of. Yes, fans consider him to be the premier Punisher actor and it's so awesome that he will finally get the chance to showcase why to moviegoers.
The trailer features a brief clip in which he runs over Spidey with his iconic Punisher van. Although he stuns the webslinger temporarily, Spider-Man manages to temporarily subdue him, telling him to go home. It sounds like the pair are going to make quite the dysfunctional team - and audiences are already here for that!
As Walking Dead fans ourselves, it's wonderful to see Bernthal receive this spotlight in the upcoming MCU movie. His performance as Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead is so well-regarded that it's almost crazy to look back on and remember that the character only appeared in two seasons. That's how much of a lasting impression that Bernthal's performance left on the TWD Universe and it's a reminder of why fans have been consistently calling for the-powers-that-be to find a way for him to return.
But, while Shane died in The Walking Dead's second season, The Punisher is alive and well. As his other most famous character, Bernthal has crafted a deep, gripping, and powerful persona for Frank Castle and it's utterly thrilling to watch him perform. How that hard-hitting style - that was specifically created for the TV-MA world of the Netflix shows - will gel with the light-hearted, enjoyable nature of the Spider-Man movies we don't know. But we're very, very excited to find out!
Bernthal has enjoyed an incredible career since his departure from The Walking Dead, appearing in the likes of Snitch, The Accountant and its sequel, Baby Driver, American Gigolo, The Bear, Netflix's His & Hers, and of course, his role as The Punisher in the MCU. Taking his biggest TV role to the big screen is simply the next chapter in that long, successful career.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives in movie theaters on July 31, 2026.