Marvel fans think Jon Bernthal just dropped another hint about his return as Punisher in upcoming Disney Plus series Daredevil: Born Again. The actor's casting in the show has been rumored for a while, but there's been no official announcement from Marvel Studios yet.
Bernthal posted a photo on Instagram, which was then shared on Reddit, of what appears to be a book cover featuring a mother holding a baby bear, who's clutching a cookie. Above the bears are the words: 'One batch, two batch.'
"One batch, two batch" is also what Punisher says before he kills someone, and it's the name of his young daughter Lisa's favorite book (which features – you guessed it – bears and baked goods). The former Marine-turned-vigilante's life of revenge begins after his family, including Lisa, is murdered during a shootout between rival gangs.
"Let it begin….Let it Begin!!!!!" one Redditor replied. "I mean we already know he's coming back for over a year now so I don't see how this is cryptic," pointed out another user. "Could be even bigger, his own series (again)," the original poster suggested, while others suggested that the post could mark the start of Bernthal's time on set.
"You're reading it wrong, this confirms him in The Bear S3," joked one user, referring to Bernthal's guest role as Mikey Berzatto, the deceased older brother of chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) in the series.
Bernthal first played Frank Castle in 2016 in Netflix's Daredevil. He went on to star in his own series, The Punisher, which ran from 2017 to 2019, as part of The Defenders Saga – which we now know is officially canon in the MCU. Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio will also reprise their Netflix roles in Daredevil: Born Again after appearing as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk in other MCU projects like Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk, Hawkeye, and Echo.
Daredevil: Born Again is expected to arrive on Disney Plus in 2025. In the meantime, make sure you're up to date with the MCU with our guide to the story so far in Marvel Phase 5 and our look at what's to come in Marvel Phase 6.
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