The following contains spoilers for The Amateur, now playing in theatersThe Amateur cast Jon Bernthal as a potentially interesting spy character but doesn’t do anything interesting with him. Bernthal has steadily become a consistent presence in Hollywood, following up his breakout performance in The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ with notable appearances in Martin Scorsese movies and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Punisher. The concept of seeing the actor in a spy thriller like The Amateur is an exciting one, especially if he could bring that same level of depth and intensity to the role.

That’s what makes his minor role in the otherwise compelling and entertaining The Amateur so disappointing. Effectively serving as a quick contrast to the more neebish Charlie, Bernthal’s “the Bear” only appears three times in the film at all and only speaks in two of those scenes. He ultimately adds little to the film, which is a shame because the actor and the character had greater potential in the story. However, fans of Bernthal won’t have to wait long to see the actor dive into another firefight.

Jon Berthal’s The Amateur Role Is Disappointing

The Bear Only Appears A Few Times In The Amateur

Jon Bernthal doesn’t get much to do in The Amateur, which is a shame given the inherent potential of “Jon Bernthal as a secret agent.” Bernthal plays a minor role in The Amateur, which is largely focused on CIA cryptographer Charlie Heller. To highlight the differences between field agents and analysts, Charlie runs into Bernthal’s Jackson O’Brien, otherwise known as “the Bear.” O’Brien has a brief conversation with Charlie where he brushes off Charlie’s excitement to potentially hang out. O’Brien is then absent until late in the film, when he tries to convince Charlie to return home.

When he fails to convince Charlie to give up his mission of revenge, he leaves him to his work and departs from the film. It’s a surprisingly small role for an actor like Bernthal, who does bring a certain gruff confidence and brash jerkiness to the role. However, there’s so much more the character could have done. He’s largely forgettable, which is a rarity for characters played by the actor. He could have been one of Charlie’s few allies in the field, a villainous agent for Henderson, or a genuine wildcard. Instead, O’Brien barely leaves any impression.

Jon Bernthal Has A Bigger Action Movie Role In The Accountant 2, Releasing In 2 Weeks

Jon Bernthal’s About To Get A Big Action Push

Luckily, fans of the actor will get plenty of action in the upcoming The Accountant 2, which will focus on Bernthal’s Brax in a big way. Bernthal appeared in The Accountant briefly as Brax, Christian Wolff’s brother. Brax will get a bigger showcase in the upcoming sequel, which forces the pair to work together to solve a series of murders, with much of the drama and comedy in the film building off the relationship between the two men. The trailers for The Accountant 2 feature some pretty impressive action beats, hinting that the film will be an exciting one.

Especially after The Amateur, The Accountant 2‘s greater focus on action should be able to whet the appeтιтe for Bernthal action. What’s disappointing about the lack of the Bear in The Amateur isn’t even the action, but the lack of any clear character importance other than highlighting Charlie’s arc. By contrast, The Accountant 2 seems to be leaning into the world of differences that exist between Christian and Brax, placing their dynamic front and center. It’s something The Amateur didn’t do, and feels like a waste of the actor.