Born Again EP Teases The Punisher’s MCU Return

Six years after the end of his eponymous Netflix series, Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle/Punisher will return to the MCU in Daredevil: Born Again. This iteration of the character debuted in Daredevil season two as an antihero who contrasted with the strict Catholic morality of Daredevil/Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox). Due to the positive reception of Bernthal’s performance, Punisher was given a spinoff, which lasted for two seasons. The Punisher’s showrunner was Dario Scardapane, who Marvel later recruited to give Daredevil: Born Again a creative overhaul to more closely match its Netflix predecessor.

Numerous actors from Netflix’s Daredevil were brought back, including Cox and Bernthal as well as Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Wilson Bethel, and Ayelet Zurer. Bernthal’s return is a highly anticipated element of Daredevil: Born Again, especially because the series reunites him with Scardapane. Speaking with TVLine, the writer teased bringing Punisher back into the fold: “He comes in for a very, very particular reason, he is brought in by a very, very particular person, and I think that it will be immensely satisfying — and a bit like, ‘Oh, my God.’“

Per Scardapane, “whenever Frank comes into the story, hijinks ensue, and in this story, that is very, very true.” Beyond the general shenanigans of Punisher, his personality clashes with Daredevil also lend themselves to conflict. This is not lost on Scardapane, who added: “Whenever you put Frank and Daredevil together, all bets are off. It’s a tornado—I mean, we broke some stuff!“

Scardapane teased a worthwhile return for Bernthal’s Punisher, with some surprises tossed in. Given his statement that a “particular character” brings Frank into the story, there is room for speculation on how he factors in. The most likely candidate—who isn’t Matt—would be Karen Page, who had a unique, strong friendship with Punisher. However, Karen has relocated to California, so it’s uncertain how and if she’ll factor into the season-long arc. Additionally, crooked cops bearing the Punisher logo have been antagonists in episodes two and three, making that a possible entry point for Frank and Matt to cross paths.

Daredevil: Born Again Is Setting Up An Incredible Story For Punisher When He Returns

The Punisher is looming in the background of Daredevil: Born Again, with the show setting up the perfect comeback story in the meantime.

Regardless of how Punisher factors into Daredevil: Born Again, his return is exciting for long-term fans. Bernthal himself counts among the audience members looking forward to the character’s appearance and his subsequent special. Previously, the actor stated that he “care[s] very deeply about Frank” and is “really grateful that [he’s] getting the opportunity to tell the story that [he] think[s] the fans deserve.“

Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, mostly hidden by shadow and holding an assault rifle in The Punisher

Bringing back Punisher is no simple task, especially now that the character will be appearing on DIsney+. However, the otherwise family-friendly streaming platform isn’t pulling its punches with Daredevil: Born Again, which bodes well for Frank’s return. Moreover, Scardapane’s history of writing for Punisher means the character will likely stay true to his core.