Avengers: Endgame was stuffed with superheroes and the line-up for its final battle reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But according to directors the Russo Brothers, the movie also included a secret cameo that nobody was able to spot.
During a recent lockdown watch party of Endgame, a Marvel fan took to Twitter to ask the directorial duo whether anyone was on the receiving end of that bench the Hulk hurls when he learns of Natasha Romanoff’s death on Vormir. In response, the Russos jokingly confirmed that it struck an unsuspecting Punisher, who we can only assume was lurking in the bushes on some covert op.
https://twitter.com/Russo_Brothers/status/1254937546905186305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Although the Russos were merely namedropping Frank Castle for laughs, the trigger-happy vigilante almost appeared in Avengers: Endgame for real, along with the rest of the Marvel superheroes who name Netflix as their stomping ground. Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely previously confirmed that they considered including the Netflix heroes in the final battle with Thanos, but sidelined the idea when they realized how much work this would involve.
The Russo brothers’ gag also works as a fun callback to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the first MCU movie they directed. The pair have dropped strong hints that the Punisher made a secret cameo in that film, featuring as a Penske truck driver who comes to the heroes’ aid on two occasions.
Of course, Jon Bernthal starred as Frank Castle in one season of Netflix’s Daredevil and two seasons of a standalone show about the anti-hero. His future in the role remains unclear, but there have been reports of a third season of The Punisher potentially coming to Disney+ as well as rumours that Marvel is planning to integrate the character into the MCU. Watch this space for more.