'The Punisher' Star Explains Why He Wants in 'The Defenders'

Netflix’s, The Defenders brought all of the MCU’s street-level heroes together, with one glaring, gun-toting exception. Frank Castle, better known as the fugitive vigilante, the Punisher wasn’t invited to the party, but Jon Bernthal, who plays the deadly vigalante, is game for it in the next season of The Defenders. And at a recent panel at a convention, Bernthal revealed two reasons why he wants in.

On Sunday, Bernthal and fellow Punisher co-star Ebon Moss-Bacharach appeared at a panel at ACE Comic Con in Arizona. During the Q&A portion, Bernthal was asked which of the Defenders he’d love to appear onscreen with. The actor revealed his two choices: Daredevil star Charlie Cox (again), and Jessica Jones lead Krysten Ritter.

On Charlie Cox, whom Bernthal already appeared alongside in Season 2 of Daredevil, Bernthal said: “You know, I love Charlie [Cox]. I’ve worked with him before and I’d work with him again on anything in a heartbeat. He’s the reason I’m doing this. He brought me into this and his performance is what made me want to do it.”

On Ritter: “I’m a huge fan of Krysten’s [Ritter] too. She’s killer and I’d love to work with her as well.”

“That being said, they’re all great,” added Bernthal.

Should Frank Castle ever meet the Defenders, one should expect the former Marine to be hostile. In the comics, the loosely-organized Defenders have never had the Punisher in their ranks. And as recent as 2017, in Brian Michael Bendis’s run on The Defenders comic, Frank Castle knocked out the Defenders with nonlethal rounds, putting them in the hospital. It’s kind of a jerk move against fellow superheroes, but Frank Castle didn’t get his name for being brutally polite.

As the MCU franchise reaches the end of its “Phase Three” in cinema, the TV universe continues to thrive without an end in sight. The Punisher has bee greenlit for a second season. The Defenders hasn’t been confirmed for renewal, but Jessica Jones is now filming its sophomore season while Daredevil will eventually return for Season 3.

Marvel’s Jessica Jones will return to Netflix on March 8.