‘The Punisher’ Set Leaks Reveal Return of Another Marvel Netflix Character
New set leaks from Marvel’s upcoming Punisher special have just confirmed the return of a familiar face from the Netflix era, Curtis Hoyle. Actor Jason R. Moore is back in the role, joining Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle on the streets of New York once again.
Filming for the Punisher 2026 Special Presentation officially started on July 17, 2025, in New York City. According to reports from media and several fan accounts, these scenes take place after the events of Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, as martial law is imposed under Mayor Wilson Fisk.
Frank Castle is now on the run, and Curtis Hoyle seems to be one of the few people still willing to help him.
Hoyle was first introduced in the Netflix series The Punisher. He was a former Navy corpsman and a close friend to Castle. He ran support groups for veterans and helped Frank deal with the emotional scars of war and personal loss.
Though the two had their differences toward the end of the Netflix run, the new footage shows them meeting again, talking quietly while staying out of sight.
This Disney+ special marks Hoyle’s first official appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s a big moment, as Marvel slowly brings characters from the Netflix series into the MCU timeline. A fan-run Jon Bernthal account on Instagram first shared the behind-the-scenes footage, which show Hoyle and Castle together on set.
Reinaldo Marcus Green, who directed We Own This City with Bernthal in 2022, is directing the special and co-writing the script alongside Bernthal himself. The story will follow Castle after his escape and his fight against new enemies like Ma Gnucci and the Gnucci Crime Family, according to rumors that is.
So far, Marvel Studios hasn’t shared much more about the cast or plot, but the return of Hoyle hints at more threads from the Netflix series being pulled into future MCU projects.
The Punisher Special Presentation is set to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2026, and Castle is already confirmed to show up in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
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