Is The Punisher coming back for season 3? Everything we know so far

Fans are waiting excitedly for the announcement that The Punisher is coming back for season 3 - aka everyone’s favourite anti-hero.

Fans of the MCU are eagerly awaiting an announcement about The Punisher season 3. Daredevil has been firmly reinstated and confirmed to return to screens in the form of Daredevil: Born Again - with 18 episodes available to stream in spring 2024. Speculation remains rife that Jessica Jones will also be getting a reboot. Although not slated to return in exactly the same way, it's rumoured Krysten Ritter is in talks with Disney to bring the character back, but with a twist. That leaves violent anti-hero Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher, to complete the previously cancelled and soon-to-be rebooted triangle. And here’s everything we know so far about The Punisher returning for season 3.

Fans of the MCU are also getting excited about another favourite coming to Disney Plus soon. We delved into the She Hulk: Attorney At Law release date and cast. There’s also speculation over who could be the next Black Panther as the Wakanda Forever release date approaches. Those who watched to the end of the latest Norse hammer wielding superhero offering, also noticed something special in those end credit scenes in Thor: Love and Thunder.  

Is The Punisher coming back for season 3?

At this moment, there has been no official announcement from Disney about The Punisher season 3. However, speculation is mounting, and there have been hints galore. 

An unofficial Marvel updates Twitter account posted that The Punisher will be returning to Disney+, with Jon Bernthal reprising his role as Frank Castle. They suggested the announcement would come at the next D23 Exposition, taking place on September 9. However, as the account is unofficial, fans will have to wait until after the expo to find out if this comes to fruition. 

Actress Rosario Dawson - who played Claire Temple in Daredevil - also made an announcement that The Punisher was returning. Speaking on a panel at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, Dawson excitedly said that The Punisher was returning, appearing loaded with enthusiasm that her character might get to appear on it in a crossover.  

However, Dawson quickly redacted her statement, saying she had been misinformed, and had gotten overexcited about something she had misinterpreted. Some fans feel that Dawson really did know that the show was returning, and had been asked to take back her statement by the powers that be, in readiness for an official statement later.

Why was The Punisher season 3 cancelled?

Netflix paid Disney a licence fee to use the names and characters from the Marvel universe they owned the rights to. It was cheaper for Netflix to focus on their own content, rather than continue paying the licence.  

According to Hollywood Reporter, Netflix and Marvel (owned by Disney since 2009) had a 5 year contract to produce 6 seasons of shows such as The Punisher and Daredevil. Netflix ended this relationship early in a likely bid to save money. In an increasingly competitive world of streaming, Disney could also have been looking to improve profits from the franchise for itself - rebooting the cancelled Netflix shows appears telling that this is also the case. 

When The Punisher was cancelled in 2019, showrunner Steve Lightfoot made an official announcement to Deadline. He said “Marvel’s The Punisher will not return for a third season on Netflix”. He continued “Our Network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters… but you know Marvel better than that”. This statement also appears to hint that the shows would be somehow resurrected. 

The Punisher season 3: Possible returning cast

• Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher 
• Amber Rose Revah as Dinah Madani
• Jason R. Moore as Curtis Hoyle
• Floriana Lima as Krista Dumont 
• Giorgia Whigham as Amy Bendix 
• Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page 

Frank Castle actor Jon Bernthal regularly updates his Instagram page with snippets about The Punisher cast members and what they are appearing in. He also shares occasional stills and excerpts from the show. However, he has yet to comment on rumours of a return. Following the show’s cancellation, he shared a heartfelt post to Instagram to say his goodbyes. 

The post read “To all who have served. All who know loss. All who love and understand Frank and his pain. It has been an honor to walk in his boots. I’m endlessly grateful to the comic fans and the men and women of the Armed Services and law enforcement community who Frank means so much to. Thank you to the USMC and all the wonderful soldiers who trained me. Go Hard. Be safe”.

Will The Punisher season 3 be on Disney Plus? 

Yes, if The Punisher returns for season 3, it would stream on Disney Plus. This is because Disney now owns Marvel Entertainment, paying $4 billion for the company in August 2009.

A Disney Plus subscription costs £7.99 per month in the UK, or £79.90 for a year’s access. The majority of Disney Plus content is available with the subscription, although Disney occasionally releases Disney Plus Premier Access titles, requiring additional payment. However, such titles are usually added to the catalogue a short time later, where they are free to watch. UK subscribers can stream on four screens simultaneously, and register up to 10 devices - the service will support 7 profiles. 

Video of the Week