With Disney+'s newfound possession of the Netflix shows and Charlie Cox's Daredevil's triumphant return in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, it is safe to say that the return of the characters of the Defenders Saga will make their official debut in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe sooner rather than later. Though there has been no announcement from Marvel, fans have pointed out some possible hints circling around social media. A recent Instagram post may have revealed that in Phase 5 of the MCU, Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle.

The Punisher's return to the MCU, other than being a huge undertaking, could lead to more mature connections between preexisting characters in the MCU. However, there is also an opportunity to incorporate more of the Punisher's circle of characters. It could mean the return of Micro, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach in the series, or the introduction of more of Frank's comic book companions. If Marvel chooses to go with the latter option, there is one character whose joint arc with Frank would make for a perfect reintroduction to the character: Rachel Cole-Alves.

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The Origin of the Female Punisher, Rachel Cole-Alves

rachel cole-alves

Fans were introduced to Rachel in The Punisher #1 (2011) (by Greg Rucka, Marco Chechetto, and Matt Hollingworth). The comic run opens with a deadly massacre on Rachel's wedding day, which kills multiple members of the congregation including Rachel's newly wedded husband. This inspires Rachel to begin her own journey of vengeance, which leads her right to Frank Castle. After unintentionally meeting in a duo attempt to kill members of The Exchange, the gang that caused Rachel's wedding day massacre, the two decide to form a team. This effectively introduced one of the most brutal pairings in Marvel's history.

There is no doubt that Rachel is capable of fighting alongside Frank. She was an incredibly accomplished marine and recovered from her injuries at a remarkable rate out of pure spite as seen in Punisher (2011) #5 (by Greg Rucka, Marco Chechetto, Matt Hollingworth, and VC's Joe Caramagna). She also has no problem with following Frank into crowded facilities to take out who they need to take out. She is equally, if not more at times, deadly as Frank. In a live-action series, it would be amazing to see a companion actively in battle with Frank and function on his same level of brutality.

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Rachel is More Than Just a Female Punisher

On that note, it is easy to label Rachel as merely a girl version of The Punisher. There are certainly some easy parallels to draw between the two ex-marines, including Rachel having her own version of Micro in journalist Norah Winters. However, a deeper look at her character shows this is clearly not the case. What separates Frank from Rachel is that she shows hesitance and true remorse in the end. The first crack in her willpower was shown when the punishing pair teams up with Spider-Man and Daredevil in Punisher (2012) #10 (by Greg Rucka, Marco Chechetto, Matt Hollingworth, and VC's Joe Caramagna), and Daredevil convinces Rachel not to kill a goon. After that, her commitment wanes and her guilt worsens.

This all comes to a head when she accidentally kills a detective, and she tries to commit suicide after realizing that she's gone too deep. However, in a moment of loyalty and empathy, Frank removes the ammunition from her gun, making sure she lives. Rachel Cole-Alves's storyline being adapted as Frank's returning story would mean two things. Fans would see the epic and tragic story of a woman trying to find answers for a horrific moment of her life, and Frank Castle solidifying his lonely road: he knows that no one could or should be like him. It will prove to audience members there's no one like Frank Castle, not even within the Marvel universe.