Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for The Amateur.
Recently, Jon Bernthal appeared in the new spy thriller movie,The Amateur, and weirdly enough, his new character has an unlikely connection to his role inThe Bear.Released on July 28, 2025,The Amateurfollows Charlie, a CIA cryptographer whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Sarah, is killedin a terrorist attack. Seeking justice for her death, Charlie blackmails his superiors into giving him the resources to hunt down Sarah’s killers himself. Despite having little field training,Charlie tracks down the terrorists and makes them payfor his grief.
The Amateurnot only boasts a unique premise, but it also has a star-studded castto back it up. Rami Malek stars as Charlie, alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne, Caitríona Balfe, and Bernthal. Though the movie hasn’t been out long, it has already received fairly strong scores on Rotten Tomatoes, including a 62% critics score and an 88% audience score. For the most part,The Amateur’spositive reviewscan be attributed to its fantastic cast, who bring a sense of seriousness to their characters, despite some over-the-top action sequences.
The Bear Star Jon Bernthal Plays A Character Named The Bear In The Amateur
How Bernthal’s Bear Characters Compare
One bright spot ofThe Amateuris Bernthal, who ironically plays a character who is known as “the Bear.” In the action film, the Bear is a CIA field agent who is friends with Charlie at the start of the movie, and later, attempts to intervene in Charlie’s violent plans.This character’s title is funny because Bernthal is well known for his portrayal of Michael Berzattoin the comedy-drama,The Bear.Michael often calls the lead character Bear, and the nickname connects to their last name, Berzatto.
Where To Watch The Amateur: Showtimes & Streaming Status
Rami Malek & Laurence Fisburne’s 2025 spy thriller The Amateur, based on Robert Littell’s novel, is just days away from hitting theaters nationwide.
Strangely,Bernthal’s charactersare somewhat similar. The main connection between them is that they are supporting characters who are not used super often on-screen, but when they do appear, they have an impact.Just like how Bernthal’s Michael offers moments of intensity and sadness onThe Bear,the Bear inThe Amateurbrings a sense of emotion to the storybecause he clearly cares for Charlie, regardless of his actions. Overall, Bernthal succeeds at adding depth to whatever story he is in, especially if his role is bear-related.
The Amateur’s Jon Bernthal-Bear Connection Was Totally Unintentional
Bernthal’s Upcoming Projects Explained
The next most obvious question is whetherThe Amateur’sdirector meant to create this Bernthal Bear connection. Apparently, the answer is no. In an interview withEntertainment Weekly,James Hawes explained that the name was a complete coincidence. He said, “The character was called ‘the Bear’ before Jon Bernthal came along. And whether or not that was something that sign-posted the part as a role he had to play, you’ll have to ask him.” At this point, Bernthal has not said anything about the situation.
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AfterThe Amateur,audiences may be craving more Bernthal. Fortunately, he has a number of projects that have recently been released or are on the cusp of their premiere. This year,Bernthal has already appeared inDaredevil: Born Again,and is set to return forThe Accountant 2.In 2026,he is slated to be in Christopher Nolan’sThe Odysseyand will star in a newPunisherproject produced by Disney. All in all,The Amateuris just the start of more Bernthal projects.
