Marvel Reveals The Punisher's New Superpowers Before Next MCU Appearance

No one will ever accuse Frank Castle of having good luck. After all, this is a man who suffered emotional devastation when the Marine discovered his wife and two children had been murdered by the mob in New York City, the burning need for vengeance turning him into one of the most famous and visceral anti-heroes in all of Marvel Comics, the Punisher — killing criminals unapologetically.

In modern times, the character is portrayed by award-winning actor Jon Bernthal, who took up the mantle during Marvel's Netflix era in the in mid- to late-2010s, but then came another round of bad luck when Marvel's The Punisher was no more, leaving Bernthal on the Marvel shelf for years until he'd eventually return in Season 1 of Matthew Murdock's (Charlie Cox) reboot, Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+.

But now, hey, it appears Castle has come into some good luck, after all, because Bernthal's bloody, but redemptive, one-shot special in 2026 — The Punisher: One Last Kill — proved Disney and Marvel have much bigger plans for him; hence, why he's co-starring in Tom Holland's next blockbuster, Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Marvel Comics wants to really push Punisher's newfound luck ahead of that premiere on July 31, unveiling a new power no one, and especially not Black Cat, saw coming in the upcoming Black Cat #12.

Image: Marvel Comics

• Writer: G. Willow Wilson
• Art: Andrés Genolet
• Primary cover art: Josemaria Casanovas
• Variant covers: Ejikure, NetEase Games, Mirka Andolfo
• Colorist: Brian Reber
• Designer: Stacie Zucker
• Letterer: Joe Caramagna
• UPC: 75960621252101211
• Length: 32 pages
• Price: $4.99 US
• On sale: July 8, 2026

The Punisher Is Now Immune ... to Bad Luck?

In Black Cat #12, Castle gets his hands on Felicia Hardy, a woman who has and continues to often benefit from the power of good luck (yes, it's a superpower — see Domino's (Zazie Beetz) argument with Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) in Deadpool 2 on the matter, for reference).

She quickly discovers that, as seen in the previews above, that Castle is somehow immune to any bad luck others would normally be victimized by when facing Black Cat.

"Black Cat is something of a celebrity among heroes and villains due to her ability to toe the line between hero and criminal herself. Felicia Hardy's charisma constantly helps her come out of impossible situations in one piece, but it's her probability manipulation abilities that allow her to achieve the impossible," ScreenRant's Nicolas Ayala wrote of Black Cat #12.

He continued: "When she crosses paths with the Punisher, Felicia Hardy realizes that her luck-based powers don't affect him. According to Black Cat, 'the Punisher seems immune to luck,' as Frank Castle is 'so terminally depressed that Lady Luck herself has given up on him.'

Punisher Leveling Up His Luck With Spider-Man for the MCU

Per the official Black Cat #12 synopsis: "THE PUNISHER TAKES AIM... AT BLACK CAT! BLACK CAT made a big mistake... one that's now pointed the PUNISHER and every weapon he's got in her direction. Felicia thought she got off scot-free... but her actions in the Negative Zone may have created a few ripples in the Multiverse — ripples felt by the killer of killers, FRANK CASTLE! Felicia's never faced an unstoppable force like the PUNISHER before – will her luck hold?!"

That should make for an interesting head-to-head in Black Cat #12, and Bernthal is gearing up for an intriguing one himself in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. He recently gave some insight into his role in that film, and it's now well-known that his Punisher is in the long-term MCU plans that stretch far beyond anything achieved in the original Marvel-Netflix era.

So, however the Punisher might've succeeded in making Lady Luck finally tap out, all that matters is it's apparently working.

Release Date May 12, 2026

Cast

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  Jon Bernthal

  Frank Castle / The Punisher

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  Deborah Ann Woll

  Karen Page

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  Jason R. Moore

  Curtis Hoyle

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