“Maybe I Can Come Back”: Dolph Lundgren Is Open to Returning to Marvel As the Punisher

Before Jon Bernthal, before Ray Stevenson, and before Thomas Jane, Dolph Lundgren brought Frank Castle to life in The Punisher. While the film seemed largely detached from the Marvel Universe as a whole, casting an action hero like Lundgren as the most dangerous vigilante in comics turned out to be a move that everybody could get behind.

Lundgren never returned as the character, which is a shame, but in the world of comic book movies and multiverses, never say never. Appearing at GalaxyCon, Lundgren was asked if he would ever be open to returning to the role.

“I don’t know,” Lundgren said. “Maybe I’m a little bit too old for the Punisher. I could still punish people, I guess, if I had to. Yeah, I don’t mind. The Punisher is a fun, interesting character. I mean, a lot of other people have played him. Why not? Maybe I can come back as the friendly old uncle or something.”

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Considering how actors have flitted in and out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in recent years, it wouldn’t be too shocking if Lundgren stomped in for a quick cameo. After all, Deadpool & Wolverine secured the return of Jennifer Garner as Elektra and Wesley Snipes as Blade – and both actors hadn’t played their respective characters for 20 years. While the role of Punisher seems to be Bernthal’s until he doesn’t want it anymore, especially after the box office domination of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, don’t rule out an appearance from Lundgren in a multiverse project.

However, Bernthal’s grip on the character has only tightened in 2026. Before Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters, he headlined The Punisher: One Last Kill, a Marvel Television Special Presentation that he actually co-wrote with director Reinaldo Marcus Green. The special released on Disney+ on May 12, 2026, and even prompted calls for a theatrical release.

The Punisher might not have the legacy of other comic book movies; however, Lundgren has had nothing but praise about the experience of playing such an iconic character. While speaking to Raiders of the Lost Podcast, he agreed with the interviewer that it was perhaps a film ahead of its time.

“They made it more of a contemporary kind of regular human version of the superhero,” Lundgren said. “The real character had the special suit, the skull, and all that. We kind of made it a little more down and dirty. A lot of fans were a little disappointed with that, but it was fun for me. I got to work with Lou Gossett Jr., who’s a great actor, and I got to bring martial arts back. I hadn’t done martial arts in [Rocky IV], [which] was just boxing, and [Masters of the Universe] was swordplay. But in Punisher, they flew these fighters in from Japan. These two guys were like full-contact fighters, and they thought they were there to fight me for real.”

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With Lundgren being game, it would feel like a missed opportunity if Marvel Studios doesn’t consider integrating him into the MCU somehow. Even if he doesn’t come back as Frank, maybe there’s another role linked to the Punisher that he can play. 

Lundgren’s memoir, Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle, was released by Harper Horizon on September 22, 2026. The Punisher (1989) isn’t currently streaming, but is available to own on DVD and Blu-ray.