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How I Met Your Mother fans only just realising huge star appeared in early episode

The actor now stars in huge roles and fans say his early part 'hits different'

[Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Radnor and Jon Bernthal in How I Met Your Mother]

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Fans say his scene 'hits different' now he is a huge star(Image: CBS)

How I Met Your Mother fans have only just realised a huge star appeared on the show.

Some fans of sitcom How I Met Your Mother are only just realising that an actor who is now a huge Hollywood star made an appearance in an early episode. Viewers have admitted that even after multiple rewatches, they failed to realise who it really was.

For those unaware, the series which ran from 2005 until 2014, centred on Ted Mosby, an architect, who is retelling his children in the future about all the events that led him to meet their mother (set in the then present day).

Along the way he also tells stories that include adventures with his friends Lily, Marshall, Barney and Robin. At the time of its initial release, it was seen by some as Friends for a new generation.

The show certainly was not one to shy away from big name guest stars throughout its nine season run. With the likes of Bryan Cranston, John Lithgow, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and James Van Der Beek making appearances - to name just a few.

[Josh Radnor and Jon Bernthal in How I Met Your Mother]

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Some fans are only just realising who the actor is in the show's second episode(Image: CBS)

It also featured a number of performers early in their careers who would go on to gain significant roles. There is one though that is now having a huge year in 2026.

A user on Instagram with the handle @actingclassweekly posted a video of them rewatching How I Met Your Mother. They captioned it: "Right after watching The Odyssey and Spider-Man Brand New Day, seeing this guy in a small cameo hits different."

The clip revealed that in season one, episode two of the show, titled Purple Giraffe, Jon Bernthal has a small supporting role near the end of the episode. He plays Carlos, who is a mystery person among the main cast for much of the instalment.

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Bernthal would go on to star in The Walking Dead a few years later in 2010. After that he earned the role of The Punisher for Netflix's Daredevil adaptation before earning his own series on the streaming platform.

He reprised the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe including in the most recent title Spider-Man Brand New Day. 2026 has also seen Bernthal appear in a special instalment of The Bear as well as crime thriller His and Hers plus Christopher Nolan's epic The Odyssey.

However many fans have confessed after being reminded of his early How I Met Your Mother role, that they either forgot, or didn't even realise that it was him.

One fan commented: "Ive watched this show 12 times and I never realised Jon Bernthal was in the show." Another added: "I remember that guy and I didnt realise until now that it was Jon Bernthal. Woah."

[Jon Bernthal in His and Hers]

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Jon Bernthal has since gone on to star in The Punisher and The Odyssey(Image: NETFLIX)

While someone confessed: "I forgot he was in that." One person said "No freaking way that was him" followed by a exploding head emoji.

Many enjoyed the coincidence that it meant he starred alongside another fellow Marvel actor at the time. Cobie Smulders, who played Robin in the show, would go on to be Agent Hill in several projects including The Avengers.

A viewer joked: "The year was 2005, Aunt Maria was set up on a blind date with The Punisher." And others noted that Bernthal was destined to be the star he is now. They replied: "Give Jon his flowers man, he kills any role."

How I Met Your Mother and The Punisher are streaming on Disney+

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