The Falcon and the Winter Soldier almost featured an actor from The Punisher

Ben Barnes, who played Jigsaw in the Marvel/Netflix series The Punisher, has revealed that he was almost in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

"Kari Skogland, who's directing every episode of Falcon and Winter Soldier, directed every episode of a miniseries I did called Sons of Liberty where I played Sam Adams," Barnes explained in an Instagram Live session with Rotten Tomatoes. "And she actually messaged me saying she was doing Winter Soldier and that there might be a character for me in it. And I was just about to do Shadow and Bone so I didn't even know what it might be, and I still don't know really."

While it sounds unlikely that the plan was for Barnes to reprise his Punisher role, it's still an interesting coincidence. WandaVision recently saw Evan Peters kind of return as Peter/Pietro Maximoff, a part he played in the Fox X-Men franchise – though it was eventually revealed that he wasn't actually Quicksilver.

It's also unclear at the moment if the Marvel Netflix shows are still considered canon or not. While there's been no reference to them in the MCU so far, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige might have hinted at an appearance from Daredevil in the upcoming Disney Plus series She-Hulk, which suggests the Netflix shows might still have a part to play in the Marvel universe.

As for Barnes' role in Shadow and Bone, he plays General Kirigan, a major character in the Netflix series. It premieres April 23, and you can check out our Shadow and Bone preview to find out why this new fantasy show should be on your radar.

April 23 is also the date of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's finale, and in the meantime, you can check out our guide to what's coming up in Marvel Phase 4 – and find the best Disney Plus prices and deals.