Jon Bernthal's Performance In This War Movie On Streaming Is Just As Great As The Punisher

Jon Bernthal's performance in this streaming war movie feels like a prequel to his work on The Punisher. In hindsight, Bernthal got one of the best gigs on The Walking Dead. His troubled survivor Shane was one of the show's most complicated antiheroes, and his performance made his career. Just like the comics, Shane's role in the story was always designed to be short-lived, so when he left following the second season, Bernthal soon got snapped up for other movies and TV shows.

Some of the best Jon Bernthal movies include Wind River, the Accountant duology and Sweet Virginia. Of course, Bernthal's turn as Frank Castle/The Punisher across various MCU projects remains his most popular roles. Bernthal's turn as the titular vigilante is the most definitive live-action take, with the role weaponizing his ability to portray explosive rage whilst also being vulnerable and sympathetic.

It felt like the Punisher was the role Bernthal's career had been building toward. There are shades of his Frank Castle performance as early as The Walking Dead, but it was also present in early film roles like Snitch and Fury. This David Ayer movie placed Bernthal in an ensemble that also featured Brad Pitt and Michael Peña, and Fury is currently streaming on Hulu in the U.S.

Jon Bernthal's Performance In Fury Was A Precursor To The Punisher

Fury cast Bernthal as Grady, part of a tank crew during the waning days of World War 2. Led by Pitt's "Wardaddy," each crew member of the "Fury" tank is badly traumatized by their wartime experiences, leading to a clash when fresh-faced newcomer Norman (Logan Lerman) - who has zero combat experience - joins them. Norman soon learns up close and personal how awful war is, with the crew basically acting as his reluctant teachers.

It speaks to how incredible Bernthal can be that, in a movie filled with scene-stealing performances, his turn is still the most memorable. Grady is a loudmouth bully, but he somehow remains likable and sympathetic throughout. Like Bernthal's work as Castle, there are scenes in Fury where Grady is overcome by rage, but most of this is clearly coming from his intense trauma.

On the flipside, there are glimpses of his humor and humanity too. There is a sense he's so tough on Norman because the newcomer needs to learn fast how unsparing combat is, and that he has embrace the darkness and despair if he's going to survive.

Fury & The Punisher Highlight What Makes Jon Bernthal So Great

Roles like Grady or Frank Castle show what makes Bernthal such a unique screen presence. He can play tough guys and action heroes, but he also brings genuine depth to them. Even with a smaller villain role in the first Accountant, he gets to play a layered character who can be hyper-masculine and ruthless one moment, and open up about his feelings the next.

The previous Punisher movies tended to have their stars play the part as stoically as possible, almost like the human being inside Castle is practically gone. Bernthal takes almost the opposite approach, where he's a little too human and anguished, and needs to strap on the Punisher persona as a suit of armor. It's the same thing with Fury's Grady, who hides his humanity as best he can.

In the movie's famously tense dinner scene, Grady's hurt at being excluded from Wardaddy's nice dinner comes out in toxic machismo. Bernthal makes the character as obnoxious as possible, but it's clear to see in Grady's eyes that he feels like "daddy" is ignoring him in favor of his new "son," Norman.

There's a lot going on with Bernthal's performance in that scene alone, and Fury features one of the best performances. With the Punisher finally making his MCU movie debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, hopefully Marvel will finally give Bernthal the solo, theatrical movie he has long deserved.