Rosario Dawson Walks Back Punisher Return Comments

Jon Bernthal’s Punisher may not be returning after all…

After comments suggesting that Marvel’s Punisher would be back in a new series, it looks as though actress Rosario Dawson has had second thoughts.

“I can’t be trusted,” she said via Twitter. “Getting intel from fans during signings is iffy apparently. My bad. I get excited. Confirmation is key when you’re told what you want to hear…”

The 43-year-old actress played Claire Temple (aka Night Nurse) in several of Marvel’s recent Netflix shows, including Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist, not to mention their eventual team-up in The Defenders.

She first encountered Bernthal’s version of The Punisher in Daredevil Season 2 and clearly enjoyed working with the iconic Marvel character after she excitedly told fans that Jon Bernthal would be returning as Frank Castle.

“I found out yesterday that The Punisher was happening again,” she said. “So, I feel like it’s my second chance because that’s the only one of the shows I wasn’t in and I love Jon Bernthal. So, let’s all make it happen collectively, guys.”

However, now it looks as though she’s completely walked it back – playing dumb while claiming that her info came from fans and not Marvel itself.

If that’s true, it looks as though Bernthal’s Punisher may not return after all.

There’s certainly been no hint of The Punisher getting his own series once more after there was no mention of Frank Castle in Marvel’s upcoming slate that was announced at San Diego Comic Con.

Of course, The Punisher could return in one of Marvel’s other projects – the upcoming Daredevil series is a likely candidate since the pair already have a history on screen. But with Rosario claiming she had no insider info, that’s looking less likely, too.

Whether or not The Punisher returns to our screens remains to be seen… and while it could happen, it looks as though Dawson may not have the inside info we thought.

Find out more about Marvel’s upcoming slate with our full look at Marvel’s Phase 5 line-up as well as what to expect from Phase 6 and The Fantastic Four.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.