CM Punk has praised Jon Bernthal for “nailing” the Marvel comic character, The Punisher.
Jon Bernthal portrayed The Punisher in the Netflix adaptation of Daredevil in 2016. The character was so well-received by fans that it led to his own spin-off series the following year. The show ran for two seasons before being canceled in 2019, as Netflix ended its association with Marvel due to the creation of Disney+, which was to become the streaming home for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In 2025, Bernthal reprised his role when The Punisher returned in Daredevil: Born Again, and he is set to star in a one-off ‘Special Presentation’ in 2026.
CM Punk has now revealed that he is a big fan of Bernthal’s work as The Punisher, and even had him brought backstage at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December so he could show his appreciation.
The World Heavyweight Champion explained to Comicbook.com that he wanted to tell Berthal he was “awesome.”
“Jon Bernthal was there. I never do this. He was sitting in the front row and I grabbed somebody from the back and I said, ‘Go get that man and bring him back here because I just want to tell him that I think he’s awesome.’
“They brought him back, there he is and I’m just like, ‘I’m sorry, please enjoy the show, didn’t mean to interrupt you. Huge comic book nerd, I have watched every single iteration of The Punisher try to make it to the big screen and the small screen and I’ve watched them all fail spectacularly. You nailed it, thank you, super awesome what you put into the character.’”
CM Punk believes Bernthal was “very appreciative” of his words, and says it’s important to let people know you appreciate their art.
“He was very appreciative of that. I think it’s important to tell people that you appreciate their art and I appreciate the hell out of that guy because I thought his Punisher was, man, it was so damn good. I’m excited to see the one-off they did with him busting out of the jail.”
CM Punk Discusses When He Plans To Retire
CM Punk is currently on top of WWE as the World Heavyweight Champion, but he knows his time in the ring is limited. When asked recently when he plans to retire, the 47-year-old estimated that he will “gracefully bow out” when he reaches 50, at least if “nothing else horrible happens.”
H/T to Fightful for the above transcription.
