Punisher: Legacy

Punisher: Legacy is an upcoming 2021 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is the twenty-sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a sequel to 2016's Marvel's The Punisher, with Adam McKay returning to direct and several of the film's stars, including Neko Cortez and Kristen Wiig, also returning to reprise their roles.

Delayed several times due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the film is set for release on April 23rd 2021 in theaters and on Disney+ Premium Access.

PLOT
Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home, Frank Castle (Jack DiCaprio) and Molly Von Richtofen (Kristen Wiig)'s Defenders program has become a success, with new students joining the program hoping to become Defenders themselves.

However, they face a new and more dangerous threat as serial killer Jacob Gallows (Jesse Plemons), who calls himself The Punisher, is on the loose in Hell's Kitchen, and Castle now has to do whatever he can to stop him and Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), who has betrayed Castle and The Defenders in favor of Gallows.

CAST
Additionally, Will Ferrell, Elden Henson, Deborah Ann Woll, Doug Walker, John Goodman, and Vincent D'Onofrio reprise their roles as Billy Russo / Jigsaw, Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, Jimmy Weeks, Howard Saint, and Wilson Fisk / Kingpin from previous MCU media. The Weeknd cameos as Tito, a club security guard and ally of Gallows. Bresha Webb, Freddy Rodriguez, Jennifer Coolidge, Olan Rogers, Chrissy Metz, Betty Giplin, Sherri Shepherd, James Acaster, Cristina Vee, and Michael Jai White have been cast in undisclosed roles.
 * Jack DiCaprio as Frank Castle / The Punisher:
 * A vigilante, co-founder of The Defenders, and former Avenger who aims to clean up any city by any means necessary, no matter how lethal the results.
 * Levil Miller will reprise his role as a younger Frank Castle in flashback scenes.
 * Kristen Wiig as Lt. Molly Von Richtofen:
 * A talented investigator of the NYPD, co-founder of The Defenders, and close ally of The Punisher.
 * Jesse Plemons as Jacob Gallows / The Punisher:
 * A serial killer on the loose in Hell's Kitchen who calls himself The Punisher and wishes to take down Castle by any means necessary. In the film, he also captures his victims and puts them in the Punishment Hotel, which is portrayed as an abandoned church in the film, before possessing them with a demonic spell book he keeps secretly of his own.
 * Owen Vaccaro plays a younger Jacob Gallows.
 * Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil / Havok:
 * ​The blind childhood friend of Castle and former lawyer with his four remaining senses enhanced who is secretly the vigilante Daredevil. After the death of Foggy Nelson / Firewall in The Defenders and Karen Page in this film, he quit being a lawyer and went into a depressive / anger-filled state, to the point of betraying Castle and The Defenders and allying with Gallows in the process, becoming Gallows "Havok", a demon beast lord, in the process. Murdock's characterization in the film is similar to that in the Shadowland comics.
 * Ethan Hawke as Detective Martin Soap:
 * A detective / police officer of the NYPD and ally of The Punisher.
 * Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones:
 * A private investigator, Defender, and girlfriend of Castle suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who opens her own detective agency, Alias Investigations.
 * Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man:
 * A teenager and Avenger who receives spider-like abilities after being bitten by a genetically-modified spider. He is hired by Castle to help take down both Jacob Gallows and Matt Murdock.
 * Taron Egerton as Tony Masters:
 * A martial artist / Dojo Owner in Brooklyn and an old friend of Castle who mimics the physical movements of anyone he witnesses. He is also a master swordsman, archer, and marksman.
 * Brianna Denski as Lynn Michaels:
 * A teenage runaway turned vigilante who's taken in by Castle.
 * Arryn Zech as Rachel Cole-Alves:
 * A vigilante and Marine sergeant who worked with Castle in the past. She currently works for Mike in Notre Dame.
 * Seth MacFarlane as Michael "Mike" Richtofen:
 * The leader of the Blackout Weapons Cult residing in Notre Dame, Molly's sister, and an old friend of Frank who helps him track and take down Gallows.
 * Mike Colter as Luke Cage:
 * A former convict at Seagate Prison and Defender with superhuman strength and unbreakable skin who now fights crime in Harlem.
 * Finn Jones as Daniel Rand / Iron Fist:
 * A billionaire Buddhist monk, co-CECO of Rand Enterprises, martial arts expert, and Defender with the ability to call upon the mystical power of the Iron Fist.
 * Lou Jackson as Kyle Dash / Ashwood:
 * A multi-powered mutant, Defender, and Avenger with the abilities of superspeed, high jumping, duplication, and night vision.
 * Norman Reedus as Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider:
 * A motorcycle stuntman and Defender who sold his soul to a demon and become a vengeful fiery spirit that feeds on the evil of his victims.
 * Finn Balor as Marc Spector / Moon Knight:
 * A skilled martial artist, weapons expert, Defender, and expert detective working for the NYPD.
 * Kate McKinnon as Elodie Johnson:
 * A powerful corporate executive who wants to shut down The Defenders after witnessing the events of The Defenders.
 * Wilson Bethel as Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter / Bullseye:
 * A psychotic FBI agent who is able to use almost any object as a lethal projectile. In the film, he now goes by the alias Bullseye, like in the comics, and has allied with Elodie Johnson.
 * Bo Burnham as Hacker Bones:
 * A mercenary and ally of Gallows who's in charge of his prison.
 * Laura Bailey as Dr. Zera Turgenev:
 * A Russian mad doctor and ally of Gallows who's in charge of his prison.
 * Elodie Yung as Elektra Natchois:
 * A mysterious and dangerous woman from Murdock's past, who was once the Black Sky, a weapon of Hive. In the film, she has survived the events of The Defenders, has done her own vigilante work since her exile, and will ally with Castle after hearing about Murdock's betrayal.
 * Alice Eve as Mary Walker / Typhoid Mary:
 * A mysterious woman with hidden abilities who works for Gallows in this film.
 * Asa Butterfield as Dean Gallows:
 * A newly hired Defender recruit and the estranged son of Jacob Gallows.
 * Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple:
 * Cage's lover and a former nurse who gives medical aid to vigilantes.
 * Simone Missick as Misty Knight:
 * A Harlem police detective and Defender who is Cage's ally and an old friend of Castle.
 * Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing:
 * A former member of The Hand, Rand's lover, the owner of a New York City dojo, and Defender.
 * Elisabeth Moss as Anji Gallows:
 * The ex-wife of Jacob Gallows and current mayor of New York City.
 * Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Castle Sr. / The Punisher:
 * Frank's father who worked as the first Punisher in the past before meeting his fate in a plane crash caused by Jigsaw. In the film, it is revealed that he survived the plane crash, but was disintegrated after Jigsaw shot several disintegrating darts at him. He was resurrected by Bruce Banner years later via The Blip (in which everyone who disintegrated at the hands of Thanos was brought back to life).

Production
Filming began in July 2019 and ended in December 2019.

In August 2020, it was announced that Marvel Studios has cut ties with WWE Studios following the WWE departures of Jack DiCaprio, Lou Jackson, and Mitch Young. DiCaprio and Jackson would move to All Elite Wrestling, while Young continued to pursue his acting career. Because of this, WWE Studios will no longer be credited for future Marvel movies starting with this film.

Marketing
The first trailer, which featured footage to the tune of The Journey (Who Will Rescue Me) from The Rescuers, was released on February 2nd 2020 during SuperBowl LIV.