Jon Bernthal has been a fan-favorite star for years due to his well-appreciated performances in critically acclaimed TV shows. Besides the small screens, he has also appeared in minor roles in some of the most renowned movies. Sadly, The Punisher fame is yet to reach the popularity he deserves, and it looks like not many fans are happy about it.
While Jon Bernthal became popular among fans for his roles in The Walking Dead and The Punisher, FX’s The Bear is arguably his best TV role yet. His years of experience working under major directors have honed his skills and made him a standout performer in the star-studded dramedy show.
Jon Bernthal’s talent deserves more popularity
Jon Bernthal started his career by making guest appearances in shows like How I Met Your Mother and Boston Legal. But the first breakthrough in his career was the part of Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead TV show. Following that, he only rose in his career with numerous guest appearances and his introduction as Frank Castle aka Punisher in the Netflix Marvel series.
Even though Bernthal appeared in minor roles in several films, he worked under some critically praised directors like Martin Scorsese, James Mangold, and Denis Villeneuve. Despite his commendable past, he gave a surprisingly significant performance in the FX series The Bear.
The dramedy show focuses on Jeremy Allen White‘s award-winning chef returning to Chicago to manage his late brother’s sandwich shop after the latter committed suicide. The Ford v. Ferrari actor appeared as the deceased brother Mikey Berzatto in the series. After watching the series, worldwide fans were convinced that Jon Bernthal never got the popularity he deserved.
The most unique feature of Bernthal’s character is the fact that his presence can be felt in the entire show even though Mikey Berzatto is a deceased character. Jon Bernthal had a complex job to pull off as the show featured how even after his death, Mikey stays in the memory of everyone involved with the sandwich shop.
Mikey Berzatto was first introduced in a flashback sequence in The Bear‘s Season 1 Episode 6 titled Ceres. Since then, the fans have been enchanted by the character and have realized that he is one of the most important elements in the show’s plot.
The fans are concerned about Jon Bernthal’s popularity
One of the most striking aspects of The Bear series is its cameos by big names. Several stars like Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, John Cena, and Josh Hartnett have appeared in the show. But Jon Bernthal’s appearance sets the bar very high due to his Emmy-nominated performance of such a complex character.
After The Bear’s Season 3 recently aired on June 26, 2024, the fans were more convinced about the underrated aura of Jon Bernthal. Many fans on X even compared him to Robert De Niro and stated that he never got the popularity he deserved.
Jon Bernthal is puzzling because he’s like if time travelers picked up Robert De Niro out of the 70s, drop him in the modern day, gave him only slightly less range, and for some reason he isn’t the biggest movie star in the world
— Austin (@awoodustin) July 4, 2024
the person that decided to cast him and Odenkirk together for the Bear deserves the absolute world
— ً (@tylerduran21) July 5, 2024
Studios aren’t making movies for that kind of actor
— Liam (@liamjenright) July 4, 2024
Bernthal is captivating, looks like a star, always gas screen command/presense/charisma, and is never boring even if the film or show isn’t great. Dude elevates everything he is on and should be a household name imo.
— Jon Ledford (@JonLedford) July 5, 2024
I need to what him in even more things bc he’s always the coolest guy in any movie/show he’s in.
— nation of (@NationOfEagles) July 4, 2024
It is really sad how an actor of Jon Bernthal’s caliber has yet to get more recognition for his feats. However, with the Punisher’s return in the MCU’s Daredevil: Born Again TV Series, the fans can hope for another mind-boggling performance from the actor. Besides that, he is also slated to reunite with Ben Affleck in The Accountant 2.
It will be also interesting to see if we can spot Mikey Berzatto again in the forthcoming Season 4 of The Bear.
The Bear can be streamed on Hulu.
