The Punisher in Armor Wars - How MCU could upgrade Frank Castle after Daredevil: Born Again

Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher is confirmed to play a crucial role in Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+, but beyond that, his future is a mystery. He could appear in future MCU movies and star in his own solo series, which is already rumored to happen after Born Again.

But it’s worth noting that Netflix used him for three seasons (two solo seasons and a supporting role in Daredevil season 2). So, MCU fans might feel that The Punisher in his same old avatar might be a little overdone by the time he gets his solo series in the MCU.

Therefore, Marvel needs to evolve his character beyond what he has been in the past, which could be done by putting him in the War Machine armor.

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The Punisher could become the next War Machine

John Bernthal as The Punisher (Image via Marvel)

All Marvel Netflix characters are being reintroduced through other MCU projects. Kingpin came through Hawkeye and will continue to appear in Echo. Matt Murdock came through No Way Home and appeared in She-Hulk. He’d also star in Echo, along with his rebooted series after that.

Similarly, The Punisher is coming through Daredevil: Born Again and could continue to appear in Armor Wars before getting his own series. This could be the perfect way to evolve his character in the MCU.

Secret Invasion is setting up Rhodey’s return in Armor Wars, but his future beyond that is unknown. Whether he survives the film remains to be seen. He is not an Iron Man legacy character, as Ironheart will take that spot. Instead, Rhodey has his own entity as War Machine or Iron Patriot. So, Rhodey might need a legacy character to carry his mantle too. That’s where The Punisher comes in.

Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle (Image via Marvel)

Frank Castle has always been a one-man army. He has been a vigilante for years and waged war against all manner of criminals, but he could elevate his status by getting an upgrade. He could become a perfect legacy character for War Machine because he is all about guns and bullets.

The kind of carnage he could pull off with that armor is unimaginable. Even the War Machine armor would look great with a skull logo! The best part about this Punisher/War Machine upgrade is that Frank Castle has also worn a War Machine armor in the comics, and there’s a lot of source material for Marvel to look into.

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How Frank Castle could be used in Armor Wars

Frank Castle as War Machine (Image via Instagram/@muze_uk)

Bernthal’s Frank Castle could be incorporated into the story as one of Rhodey’s associates in a supporting role. Don Cheadle is not the biggest A-Lister in Hollywood, so his movie will need more star power, and Bernthal could become the perfect addition.

He could also help the story by becoming War Machine. Once Rhodey is done with the suit, The Punisher could take on the mantle and allow Rhodey to retire by the end of the film. But a better way to make this transition would be if Rhodey becomes the Iron Patriot and Frank takes on the War Machine armor for himself in the final act of Armor Wars.

As the title suggests, there are supposed to be multiple Iron Man-like characters involved in a war. So, Rhodey might find it tough to take on everyone all by himself. That’s another reason why Frank Castle should become the next War Machine. His team-up with Rhodey’s Iron Patriot in Armor Wars will remind fans of Iron Man 2’s final act. But things could become even better this time around.

Beyond Armor Wars, The Punisher could continue to keep the War Machine armor and star in his own solo project (on Disney+).