Jon Bernthal quit The Punisher once. Then Marvel asked him to write it.
During the original Born Again production in 2023, Bernthal walked off set because he didn't like how Frank Castle was being written. An actor with no credited screenwriting experience looked at a Marvel paycheck and said no.
Marvel retooled the entire show. Hired Dario Scardapane from the original Punisher series as showrunner. Bernthal came back. Then during filming he pitched them a standalone special. Marvel reviewed his writing samples and told him to formally pitch it.
He co-wrote the screenplay with Reinaldo Marcus Green, who directed King Richard. It runs 60 minutes, the longest Marvel Special Presentation ever. It carries a TV-MA rating. He's also an executive producer. First credited writing work of his career.
The line he gave in interviews: "I didn't want them to just hand it to me. They've held me accountable to every step along the way."
That's three MCU projects in one year. Born Again. One Last Kill. Spider-Man: Brand New Day. He filmed the Punisher special and then walked directly onto the Spider-Man set and told Tom Holland and the director the character had to feel the same across both.
The actor who had zero leverage in 2019 when Netflix canceled him now has more creative control over a Marvel character than almost any actor in the MCU's history. He got it by being willing to lose the role twice.
“You asked for this” it’s such a big chaotic buzzy shoegazey song but the audience sorta freezes and the energy dips which is really weird bc it’s such a cinematic song. I’ve tried arranging it a few ways but the audience just 👁️👄👁️ when I play it. It’s just for a diff type of crowd I think!
for reference this cat is 20lbs and thinks he’s as tiny as he was when we first got him. he was the runt of his litter. and now he’s more than half the size of my toddler. my toddler is 36lbs. HELLO???