Jon Bernthal is angling to have yet another big year in 202, as he gets to play Frank Castle/The Punisher not once, but twice. In just a few weeks, Bernthal will star as the complicated MCU figure in a Special Presentation on Disney+ that’s set to premiere on May 12. Near the end of the summer, he will star opposite a pair of long-time MCU veterans, Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo, for one of the biggest blockbusters of the year in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The new solo MCU Spider-Man film hits theaters everywhere on July 31, but two weeks before that, Bernthal is teaming with Holland for another film this summer that’s expected to be one of the biggest of the year. He will headline Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey on July 17, alongside Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and a host of other stars. He has been tapped to play Menelaus in the film.
One of Bernthal’s most underrated roles from the last few years has come from playing Michael Berzatto in The Bear. Bernthal’s Michael has been used sparingly, only in flashbacks here and there, but his performance is undeniable — he’s a three-time Emmy nominee for his Guest Performance on The Bear, and he even won the award in 2024. This afternoon, Hulu shadow dropped a new The Bear project, Gary, which features one 59-minute episode starring Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Richie. Bernthal and Moss-Bachrach, who previously worked together on The Punisher, co-wrote the special together, which should serve as the perfect bridge for fans awaiting the next season of The Bear.
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
01
What drives you to do what’s right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you’d think.
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What’s yours?
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
05
You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
06
What’s your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
09
What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.
New York City
💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
What Is the New ‘Bear’ Special Episode About?
Hulu has also released an official synopsis for the new Bear special, Gary, which reads as follows:
“Co-written by Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jon Bernthal, Gary takes place a few years before the opening of The Bear and follows Richard “Richie” Jerimovich and Michael “Mikey” Berzatto on a work trip to Gary, Indiana.”
This new The Bear prequel episode is one of the most surprising drops of the year — usually, when a project is shadow dropped like this, it’s of much less consequence for the flagship series. Gary shines a light on who Mikey and Richie were before the show, and it even brought back two of its biggest stars to tell the important story.
Check out the first four seasons of The Bear on Hulu, along with the Gary special, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the show.
