The Odyssey crew reveal the moment Jon Bernthal proved the Punisher mindset is real

Jon Bernthal has made a living playing guys who do not flinch. Shane in The Walking Dead, Frank Castle in The Punisher, the loudmouths and lifers in The Bear, Ford v Ferrari, Sicario, and The Wolf of Wall Street — all cut from the same tough cloth. But a story from Christopher Nolan 's The Odyssey shows the on-set version of Bernthal might be even harder than the ones he plays.

The Trojan Horse shoot that turned into a stress test

The Hollywood Reporter says one of the wildest moments on The Odyssey happened during the Trojan Horse sequence, shot in Morocco. Nolan went practical with it: Matt Damon — who is playing Odysseus — and more than a dozen actors playing Greek warriors, including Bernthal as Menelaus, were crammed inside a giant wooden horse.

Part of the horse sat in water. Bernthal ended up standing neck-deep in what was meant to be heated water, except it turned freezing. Nolan reportedly tried to pull him out. Bernthal would not have it.

"You ain't breaking me, Chris. There is nothing you can do to break me."

Nolan kept rolling. According to Damon, that single moment basically set the tone for the entire production — which he also called the toughest shoot of his career. After watching Bernthal gut it out, nobody stuffed inside that horse dared complain for the remaining five months of filming. And yes, this is a cast with Oscars in the mix, just standing there watching the guy tough it out.

From scene-stealer to Nolan's Spartan king

Bernthal has built a career out of making supporting roles feel essential, whether he is with Martin Scorsese, Denis Villeneuve, James Mangold, or Ava DuVernay. Nolan has praised Bernthal's prep work too — the way he digs into every angle of a character and refuses to leave ideas unexplored.

That approach fits The Odyssey. Bernthal is playing Menelaus — king of Sparta — one of the Greek commanders whose choices help spark the Trojan War before Odysseus starts the long trip home. It also lands during one of the busiest stretches of Bernthal's career.

• Notable past work: The Walking Dead (Shane), The Punisher (Frank Castle), The Bear, Ford v Ferrari, Sicario, The Wolf of Wall Street
• Directors he has teamed with: Martin Scorsese, Denis Villeneuve, James Mangold, Ava DuVernay
• The Odyssey: Plays Menelaus; shot the Trojan Horse sequence in Morocco with Matt Damon, using practical effects
• Coming up: Returning as Frank Castle in Spider- Man: Brand New Day, bringing the Punisher into the MCU after years on TV

If you are wondering whether the on-camera ferocity is an act, that frozen- water day on The Odyssey points to the same answer Bernthal's resume has been giving for years: the performances come from real-deal resilience he brings to the set.