It’s looking more and more likely that the MCU are about to debut the last Marvel villain I ever expected them to in the franchise’s near future. While the MCU timeline has adapted a staggering number of heroes and villains, it has long seemed like some figures simply aren’t set to appear on the big or small screen.

This is not only because Marvel has so many characters to explore, but also because some of said characters originate in source material that it seemed the MCU would simply not want to adapt. However, it looks like the franchise is capitalizing on an 8-year-old story setup by bringing a surprising Marvel comic figure into the spotlight.

The Punisher Originally Teased A Major Marvel Villain In Its First Episode

The Punisher went as far as to tease one major Marvel villain from Frank Castle’s comics in its first episode. During The Punisher season 1, episode 1, two of Castle’s construction site co-workers discuss a potential heist they intend to run on a poker night, with the Gnucci family being name-dropped as the protectors of the event.

This scene highlights the threat the Gnuccis pose twofold. As one of the characters states, the gambling night sounds otherwise like a setup someone would have tried to rob before, and the fact they haven’t speaks volumes. Similarly, the fear the Gnucci name strikes immediately when mentioned also reinforces them as a dangerous faction.

Later, Castle’s co-workers end up trying to hold up the poker night, introducing us to Tony Gnucci and his forces. Castle’s subsequent decimation of said forces initially looks as though it is set to begin Marvel’s famous “Welcome Back, Frank” storyline – wherein Castle earns the ire of Ma Gnucci and has to face off against the entire Gnucci crime family.

However, what ends up coming to pᴀss in reality is very different. While the Gnuccis make a fascinating appearance in the opening of The Punisher, they fade into the background from this point, leaving the wrath of Ma Gnucci unexplored in its story. That said, this looks set to change given the teases we’ve gotten for the Punisher’s MCU future.

The MCU’s Punisher Spinoff Set PH๏τos Tease Ma Gnucci’s Debut Is Impending

While it seemed for all intents and purposes that Bernthal’s Punisher would never cross paths with Ma Gnucci on-screen, the MCU appears to be about to bring in some big changes in this regard. The first tease this may be the case came about in set pH๏τos for the Punisher Special Presentation, which showed a restaurant with the Gnucci name.

Though this lightly teased the possibility of a Gnucci comeback, later set pH๏τos have suggested this is possible much more concretely. Following reports the release was looking to cast a female crime boss within its story, August 2025 set pH๏τos later unveiled Frank Castle alongside a character who is popularly believed to be Ma Gnucci.

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This would align with the teases for the Punisher spinoff, which has promised to mirror the more adult stories and tone of the vigilante’s comic stories. With Ma Gnucci being the primary antagonist of one of the Punisher’s most famous comic stories, it would make a lot of sense for the franchise to adapt the hero.

However, this is also a decision that, if it holds true, is decidedly surprising all the same. This is namely because Ma Gnucci’s story is one that seems incredibly hard to adapt without becoming way too much, even if the Punisher spinoff intends to have an R-rating.

Why Ma Gnucci’s MCU Debut Is Seriously Surprising For The MCU

Ma Gnucci’s story in The Punisher comics is unsurprisingly incredibly intense and violent, with the crime family leader’s attempts to kill Castle seeing her lose her crew as well as her own limbs over the course of a series of attacks gone wrong. The nature of this story means it seems a tricky one for the MCU to adapt.

Multiple scenes from the comic’s story appear as though they would ultimately either be too intensely graphic or otherwise too cartoonish and surreal depending on how much was shown. Indeed, the Punisher’s “Welcome Home, Frank” comic story veers on intentional satire territory with its violence, which would be tonally jarring for the MCU after Punisher’s story thus far.

Indeed, it appears the intention may be to skirt around Ma Gnucci’s main comic story in the MCU, given the character is depicted with her legs and arms still intact. With the character who appears to be Gnucci using a wheelchair, it’s possible Castle’s main conflict with her has already taken place, letting it effectively remain off-screen.

All in all, this teased story looks like it should be fascinating for the MCU, even if this is currently first and foremost in terms of how the franchise will manage to pull off adapting the Gnucci matriach into its world. As such, it seems the Punisher’s MCU future may delve into territory that would have previously seemed simply impossible.