Actor Jon Bernthal is having a landmark year in 2026, headlined by Christopher Nolan's epic "The Odyssey", in which he plays Menelaus, King of Sparta, alongside Matt Damon's Odysseus. During filming of the Trojan Horse sequence in Morocco, Bernthal reportedly endured hours submerged in unexpectedly ice-cold water rather than let Nolan pull him from the scene, an act co-star Matt Damon says set the tone for the whole cast's commitment during the notoriously gruelling shoot.

The Hollywood Reporter profile traces Bernthal's 25-year career, built on intense supporting roles for directors including Martin Scorsese, Denis Villeneuve and Ava DuVernay, and highlights a packed 2026 slate: the Netflix hit "His & Hers" with Tessa Thompson, Emmy-winning and Marvel-approved episodes of "The Bear" and "The Punisher", "The Odyssey" (out this week), his forthcoming MCU debut as the Punisher in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" (31 July), and a four-month Broadway run in "Dog Day Afternoon" that he had just completed.