In an exclusive interview with EW, Winderbaum revealed that Bernthal will co-writer the Special Presentation with Reinaldo Marcus Green, who will also direct it. Additionally, according to THR, the Special Presentation is expected to stream on Disney Plus in 2026.
“It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story. It’s so exciting,” said Winderbaum of the project.
Green and Bernthal previously worked together on the six-episode HBO miniseries We Own the Night.
Bernthal is a generational actor. He’s incredible what he brings to all the roles he plays, but particularly Frank Castle. And he’s a great writer. He knows the character inside and out…. Also, I love Punisher, but I love Jon’s Punisher in particular. The idea that he’s in the MCU and can bring that to the greater universe, especially the more grounded street-level stuff, is a huge opportunity and, as a fan, the greatest thing ever.
Shortly after the news hit, Bernthal posted a picture of the cover of The Punisher #53, the first of a seven-part arc entitled “The Final Days.” Published in 1991, “The Final Days”, written by Mike Baron, saw Castle tangle with Wilson Fisk.
The Punisher project will join Werewolf By Night (2022) and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) under the Marvel Studios Special Presentation banner. The two projects–which had runtimes of 55 minutes and 45 minutes, respectively–while standalone, also positioned the characters for further adventures, though Jack and Ted’s excellent adventures have yet to be explored. It’s possible that the new Punisher project could pave the way for Castle’s next appearance, whether that be in a film or in a new ssteeaming season of The Punisher on D+.
In May 2024, Marvel’s head of streaming, television and animation, Brad Winderbaum, explained that things had changed behind the scenes in the way Marvel Studios developed and released its streaming series. “We were already, as of two years ago, adapting our process from being, you know, fill the service as fast as possible no matter what, to a more considered approach,” Winderbaum said in an interview with Variety. Less than a year later, the results of that “considered approach” are ruffling fans’ feathers.
Over the past week, it was revealed that a pair of LONG-gestating streaming series, Nova and the Danai Gurira-led Okoye spinoff, were among multiple projects that the studio had either delayed indefinitely or scrapped entirely as Marvel Television pursues a more traditional approach to cheating its series. Now, Winderbaum has given some insight into what considerations are being given to the projects Marvel will move forward with in the future.
“I think it’s ‘linear series potential,’” said Winderbaum, referencing a shift to a far more traditional approach to producing television. “As we develop things for the future, I think they’re going to be designed to be multiple seasons, have more of a pattern, and be able to be released annually.”
Winderbaum‘s comments come as cameras prepare to roll a second season of Daredevil: Born Again just as the first season launches on D+. His comments also may well explain the delays to projects such as Nova and Strange Academy, which insiders believe the studio will eventually greenlight for production: until the creative teams can outline multiple seasons of the series, the studio may be content to hold off.
That plan, however, could eventually mean a shortage in content which wouldn’t be ideal even as Disney seeks to reduce the output of content from its major studios. There is good news on that front, though, as Winderbaum reveals that a pair of previously well-received streaming series could be revisited for second seasons. Though nothing is set in stone, both Agatha All Along and Hawkeye are under consideration for future seasons.
I really like the idea of two shows a year, especially because we are developing more than we make. We used to treat the shows like the features where we’re gonna make a show and that’s it, we’re going to hit a release date, hell or high water. Well, it’s hard to do for a two hour feature, it’s even harder to do for, six, seven, eight, nine hours. So now we have a more traditional approach.
-Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum
“A show like Agatha, to me, is concept based. Yes, a second season for sure is something that we would want to do, but let’s not rush it. Let’s get the right idea and then make it,” said Winderbaum of another batch of episodes of Agatha All Along.
Winderbaum’s comments on a potential second season of Agatha All Along are certainly surprising given co-star Patti LuPone‘s comments to the contrary. Even series star Kathryn Hahn, who made it clear she’s not down with playing the character, wasn’t able to confirm whether or not a follow-up season was in store, saying “we’dhave to let the powers that be make those decisions.”
“Hawkeye is another one that feels like you can make a second season of that show because it’s Christmas, because it’s Clint and Kate,” said Winderbaum. “You can kind of revisit it whenever, and we’re looking for opportunities to do that.” And with a shortage of projects known to be in the queue, the studio may be reaching into its quiver for Season 2 sooner rather than later.
After being delayed by roughly one year, Marvel Studios most highly-anticipated streaming series to date, Daredevil: Born Again, will finally debut on Disney Plus on March 4th. Like most, if not all, of Marvel’s streaming projects, the Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio-led revival of Netflix’s Daredevil will open up with a two-episode premier; however, according to a new press release, that won’t be the only time fans will be able double dip.
As part of its coverage of D+’s March release schedule, What’s On Disney Plus revealed that in addition to the two-episode opener, a pair of episodes of Daredevil: Born Again (Episodes 5 and 6) will stream on March 25th.
Current 'DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN' Release Schedule (Eps 1-6):
Episodes 1-2: March 4 Episode 3: March 11 Episode 4: March 18 Episodes 5-6: March 25 pic.twitter.com/AXzRQRDfUn
In Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.
-Official Synopsis, Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again
The final three episodes of the nine-eposode first season won’t roll out until April, so it’s not yet clear if the series will also wrap with a two-episode finale. Whatever the case, Daredevil: Born Again joins Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man as projects that have bucked the trend of releasing individual episodes following the series debut.
Assembled by Thanos as he massacred half of the inhabitants of each planet he conquered, the Black Order served the Mad Titan in his efforts to collect the Infinity Stones. Also referred to as The Children of Thanos, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive and Cull Obsidian appeared in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, while thier “siblings”, Gamora and Nebula, played larger roles in the Infinity Saga and beyond.
Thanos’ children were adopted (read abducted) orphans (read trophies) from the civilizations he conquered. Given his status as one of the most feared and powerful beings in the universe, it would be foolish to believe that he only conquered six planets and took only six trophies. Indeed Avengers: Endgame briefly showed Nebula and Gamora’s attack of the planet Korbin; assuming Thanos is a creature of habit, it would follow that at least one Korbinite could be counted among his “children.” And as much as I wish this was an article about Beta Ray Bill, it isn’t; it is, however, about a pair of characters who served Thanos in the pages of Marvel Comics and may just be set to appear in the Marvel Television Streaming series Ironheart.
Created by Jim Starlin and first appearing in Iron Man #55, Roclite siblings Gh’Ree and R’Hos Blood–better known as the Blood Brothers–are massive aliens who originally worked for Thanos. The duo evolved over the years and were interesting enough to make 71 appearances but are still certainly considered minor characters that might not be on many fans radars…but what if they should be?
Headlining the article “Connecting Imaginary Dots” speaks for itself and I’ll let socmed and message boards have their fun; however, an IMDB listing for Ironheart is interesting enough to ponder if the Blood Brothers might somehow have found their way into the upcoming D+ series.
Zoe Terakes, who joined the cast of Ironheart in 2022, is listed on IMDB as “Blood Sibling.” That’s it. That’s the evidence. But it’s certainly worth considering if the MCU’s iteration of the Blood Brothers may play a role in Riri Williams’ origin story.
While it’s true that the majority of Ironheart will take place post-Riri’s appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it will also dip into her origins, including (probably) why she was building a Stark-esque suit in the first place.
Set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Television’s Ironheart pits technology against magic when Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne)—a young, genius inventor determined to make her mark on the world—returns to her hometown of Chicago. Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins aka “The Hood” (Anthony Ramos).
-Official Synopsis for Marvel Television’s Ironheart
Ironheart boasts an incredibly impressive cast. Alden Ehrenreich is widely believed to have been cast as Ezekiel Stane, the son of Jeff Bridges‘ Iron Man villain, Obadiah Stane. Manny Montana (Cousin John) and Shea Couleé (Slug) look to be members of the crew of Anthony Ramos’ Parker Robins with Couleé likely a version of Marvel Comics Ulysses Lugman and Montana a version of John King, the actual cousin of Robbins. And then there’s Lyric Ross, who looks to be taking on the role of Riri’s best friend, Natalie, who, in the comics, was shot and killed in front of Riri when she was 13. But, what if…she wasn’t shot in the MCU but rather killed by the Children of Thanos as they invaded Earth?.
Sure, Thanos’ invasion of Earth was all about getting the Time Stone from Doctor Strange but it’s absolutely worth remembering that Chicago was home to Victor Timely for a period of time in the 1860s and might otherwise, for myriad reasons, be a place an alien looking to conquer Earth might send some bad ass Blood Siblings.
As always, if you’re betting, take the field over this theory. This isn’t inside info; it’s not a rumor worth spreading; it’s just tossing out an idea based on limited info. And even if the Blood Brothers do appear in Ironheart as the Blood Siblings, there are plenty of other options for why and how they are there. So the moral of the story is…Mephisto.
Ironheart is set to debut (finally) on D+ on June 24th.
Though cameras haven’t begun rolling quite yet, Marvel Studios has a busy year ahead. While the biggest news will almost certainly center around the two films headed into production this year (Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4), a trio of streaming series are also slated for filming. The Paul Bettany-led Vision and Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again are both reportedly getting underway in February, keeping Marvel Television busy for the first half of the new year. Next up on the list is a series that has come together quickly after being put on the back burner for a couple of years.
According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Marvel has begun to narrow down it’s list of potential candidates to bring the Human Rocket to life in the MCU. At or near the top of that list, according to the longtime Hollywood insider, is It Ends with Us and 1923 star Brandon Sklenar.
Recent reports indicated that Nova will introduce the classic Marvel Comics’ villain Annihilus and pit the Bug-Lord against a young team of Nova Corpsmen. Given Bernero‘s background, which includes Criminal Minds, the NBC crime drama Third Watch and Crossing Lines, a crime drama that focuses on an elite team of special investigators, it seems reasonable to assume that while Rider will be the series’ central figure, the other Corps members will feature prominently in the action.
With the studio looking to lock down an actor for the role of Richard Rider now, it’s possible that production could get underway in the next six months or so. That said, it’s been believed for some time that Nova will not be included in the Multiverse Saga and won’t stream on D+ until 2027.
After 17 years with the company, it would be right to say that Marvel Studios Head of Streaming, Television and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, has seen it all. After working as an assistant to Louis D’Esposito on 2008’s Iron Man, Winderbaum climbed company ladder and is now one of the most influential voices working behind the scenes at Marvel. Given the scope of that influence, when Winderbaum feels strongly about the direction of a project, it’s good news for that project.
In the case of Marvel Animation’s upcoming streaming series, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which debuts on January 29th, Winderbaum‘s positivity about the project seems to have it poised to make a record-breaking run on Disney Plus.
What Jeff is building brick by brick in this show is starting to pay off. You feel it in season 1. You grow connected to these characters so when everything starts to lock into place and starts to pay off by the end of the season, I feel it in my soul. It just gets deeper and deeper in subsequent seasons.
-Brad Winderbaum
In an interview with The Movie Podcast, Winderbaum not only confirmed that the previously announced second season of the series is already deep into development but also that a third season has already been given the go-ahead.
“We’re greenlit for season three so in a couple of weeks, I’m going to hear [Jeff Trammell ‘s] pitch for the third season of this show,” said Winderbaum.
With that, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man joins Marvel Animation’s What If…? and X-Men ’97 as the only Marvel Studios’ streaming series to find life beyond a second season. Like X-Men ’97, the first season Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man consists of 10 episodes which means, should subsequent seasons also receive 10-episode orders, it looks to be on track to be the first streaming series to run for at least 30 episodes, especially with development on X-Men ’97 slowing down.
With a great Spidey project comes a great responsibility to get Peter Parker right. It's easy to get Spidey right. Throw in some sweet shots of him swinging through the city, focus on the THWIPS and the quips and you're good. But getting Peter right is the true measure of success pic.twitter.com/TfZxdTOyvH
Early reactions to the new animated series have been overwhelmingly positive and Winderbaum seems to share that enthusiasm. “I’ve fallen so head over heels in love with these characters,” he said before updating the progress being made on Season 2. “By the way, I’ve now read all the scripts for season 2. We’re halfway through the animatics.” Though the animation process is a long one, Winderbaum‘s comments could point to a second season streaming on Disney Plus at some point in 2026.
We have a new system behind-the-scenes at Marvel Studios. We’re more like a traditional studio now. We’re developing more than we actually will produce.
-Brad Winderbaum
In the case of Strange Academy, Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman recently reported that Winderbaum and his team had given the project the green light which could mean work on the series could get underway this year. Now, another insider has come forward with some information that calls to mind a two-year old rumor about the series.
According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, Wong, the MCU’s current Sorcerer Supreme, will serve as the star of Strange Academy. Additionally, Benedict Cumberbatch will reportedly have a “small role” in the series, if he appears at all.
Though the Sorcerer Supreme has proven himself, having Benedict Wong as the lead would certainly seem to indicate that the studio sees Strange Academy as somewhat of a light-hearted adventure. Despite facing off with the Scarlet Witch and her demonic minions in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wong has far more often served as comedic relief. And while the series would feature a fairly large cast of kids and offer the potential for cameos from all types of MCU magic users, it could also allow for the return of the vacuous Madisynn King, Wong’s bestie last seen in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Created by Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos, Strange Academy was first published by Marvel Comics in 2020 and focused on a new generation of magic users being trained in the mystic arts at a Hogwarts-esque school opened by Stephen Strange. Classes at Strange Academy were led by an array of Marvel mages including Doctor Voodoo, Wanda Maximoff, Wong, Magik and, yes, Agatha Harkness and covered a range of topics from astral projections to interdimensional geography to xenoanatomy.
The decision by Marvel Studios to canonize Netflix’s Daredevil series as part of the creative overhaul on Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again meant that the adventures of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen weren’t the only stories retconned into MCU continuity. Indeed all of Netflix’s series made the jump because of the interconnected nature of their stories and the shared experiences of the title characters in The Defenders. So while Matt Murdock, Wilson Fisk, Frank Castle, Benjamin Pointdexter and others will share the screen again in Daredevil: Born Again, Jessica Jones, Colleen Wing, Danny Rand, Misty Knight and Luke Cage are out and about somewhere in New York City. And while fans of those characters wait to learn what’s next for them, the first trailer for the new series acknowledges another one of the Defenders for the first time.
As can be seen around 28 seconds into the trailer, during a New Year’s Eve gathering in Times Square in which Wilson Fisk is seen giving a speech, one of the billboards just above the advertisement for Rogers: The Musical serves as an advertisement for Harlem’s Paradise.
Founded in the 1960s by Buggy Stokes and Quincy McIver, Harlem’s Paradise served as headquarters for the Stokes Crime Family and was a key location in both seasons of Luke Cage. As of the series finale, ownership of the club had been passed on to Cage following the death of Mariah Dillard.
Harlem’s Paradise is the place where hip-hop, funk, jazz & rock and roll all come back to the mothership. It’s a party, y’all.
Though the billboard is advertising the club through a quote, the lettering on the sign is unclear. However, the nod to the location is an easy way to incorporate one of the key settings of the Defenders-verse into the MCU without making any major changes to the world previously created or painting themselves into a corner.
Daredevil: Born Again debuts on Disney Plus on March 4th.
Though the true nature of the organization wasn’t revealed until 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Xu Wenu’s surreptitious terrorist organization, The Ten Rings, has been causing chaos in the MCU since its inception. If not for the actions of one cell of The Ten Rings that attacked a U.S. military convoy in Afghanistan, Tony Stark would never have become Iron Man in the MCU’s Sacred Timeline.
Of course, it was eventually revealed that the leader of that cell, Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, had been working with Obadiah Stane, first to buy Stark Industries weapons and then to kidnap Tony. After recovering pieces of Stark’s original Iron Man armor from the desert, al-Wazar believed he had struck a deal with Stane that would eventually provide the Ten Rings with an army of armored soldiers. Instead, Stane took the armor, which eventually became the Iron Monger suit, and killed al-Wazar and his men.
While that certainly seemed to be the end for the MCU’s first baddie, it seems there’s more for the Phase 1 villain to do after all. According to multiple trade reports, Faran Tahir, who portrayed al-Wazar in 2008’s Iron Man, will return to the role in Marvel Television’s untitled D+ Vision series.
James Spader signed on to reprise his role as Vision’s “father”, the rogue AI Ultron, and Todd Stashwick joined the project in September as a mysterious assassin. As murky as those two castings made the picture of what the plot of the Vision series could entail, bringing back a long-dead baddie muddies the waters even further. Given Vision’s history is thoroughly entangled with Tony Stark’s, it’s entirely possible Tahir’s al-Wazar could be seen in flashbacks; however, since the character’s death was only assumed, it’s possible he could have survived Stane’s firing squad and find himself somehow mixed up with Ultron. Whatever the case, al-Wazar will now be operating in a world where Xu Wenwu has died and his daughter, Xu Xialing, is now the head of her father’s empire. Perhaps the next chapter in her story will be tied somehow to the events of the Vision series.
Marvel Television’s untitled Vision series begins filming soon and is expected to stream on Disney Plus in 2026.
Through a series of flashbacks distorted by the power of The World Between Worlds, Ahsoka saw the return of Hayden Christensen as a younger, Clone Wars-era Anakin Skywalker. Fans revealed as Skyguy and Snips, played by Ariana Greenblatt, brought moments and character designs from the beloved animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, to live-action for the first time.
With Ahsoka stranded on Peridea under the watchful presence of Anakin’s Force ghost, the return of Christensen for Season 2 of the D+ streaming series always seemed a certainty. And so when insiders, such as Daniel Richtman, reported that the actor was indeed on board for Season 2 of Ahsoka, it went largely unnoticed. However, a new report from Kristian Harloff has certainly captured the attention and imagination of fans, especially those who have a fondness for The Clone Wars animated series.
According to Harloff, not only is Christensen on board to return in Ahsoka Season 2, this time in a “pretty big role”, he will be joined not only by Greenblatt but also Ewan McGregor, who will reprise the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
While the return of Kenobi is a surprise to be sure, the most likely scenario for having the character appear in even more exciting. In the Fall of 2024, McGregor explained that Lucasfilm was exploring ideas for a potential second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The star also expressed a sincere desire to reunite with Christensen and to do so in the armor the character wore in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. And while a second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi may not happen anytime soon, it’s very likely McGregor will get his wish to suit up in the armor alongside Christensen in Season 2 of Ahsoka.
That armor! Putting on that armor would be a great joy. Then me and Hayden can really get back together.
-Ewan McGregor
Stranded! Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano are caught in the middle of a treacherous battle between good and evil. The scales now tip toward the dark side. Our three warriors must guard against attack as they plan their escape. A great weight has been placed on Anakin’s shoulders, for it is now that he must face who he really is…
As seen in the closing moments of the season finale of Ahsoka, Peridea holds some connection to the Mortis gods. And while Baylan Skoll seemed much closer to stepping into that mystery than Ahsoka, the latter has a history with the mysterious beings–and one she shared with Anakin and Obi-Wan. While there’s no mention of it in Harloff’s report, it’s incredibly likely that Ahsoka and Star Wars: The Clone Wars creator Dave Filoni is planning to incorporate a live-action flashback to The Clone Wars three-episode Season 3 Mortis arc. If that is indeed Filoni’s intention, it would explain why Greenblatt would be returning alongside Christensen and McGregor, both of whom could otherwise appear as Force ghosts.
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