I’m Nervous That The Punisher’s MCU Return Can’t Possibly Beat His 2016 Debut
9 years after Jon Bernthal's on-screen debut as The Punisher, I'm nervous the character's MCU return can't hold up to his initial introduction, despite arguably needing to as Daredevil: Born Again will introduce the character to new audiences. While The Punisher had starred in 2 feature-length Marvel movies by 2016 - namely that of 2004's self-titled The Punisher, and the 2008, Punisher: War Zone - Bernthal's rendition of Frank Castle in The Defenders universe has been the definitive on-screen iteration of the character essentially since his debut.
As such, it made sense when it was revealed that Bernthal would also be reprising his role as the gritty gun-toting antihero alongside Charlie Cox's Daredevil in the cast of Daredevil: Born Again, as this would allow another much-approved take on a major character to appear in the current MCU timeline. With that said, the road forward isn't totally straightforward, as the upcoming MCU release has the somewhat complicated task of ensuring new and old fans are satisfied with the return appearances of these characters, which gives Daredevil: Born Again the unenviable task of comparing up to their original debuts.
Punisher's 2016 Marvel Show Debut Was A Perfect Introduction To The Character
While Netflix's The Punisher kicked off in 2017, Jon Bernthal's rendition of the antihero first appeared a year prior in Daredevil season 2. After Kingpin's arrest in the first season, the second chapter of the story revolves around Frank Castle raining havoc upon the gangs who were involved in the murder of his wife and children, and the aftermath of his eventual capture and incarceration. However, the show takes pains to introduce The Punisher by showing him in all his terrifying glory, with the first episode of the season simply featuring him gunning down a gang while off-screen.
Due to the care taken to make Daredevil as impactful as possible, this introduction doesn't hold back on depicting the bloodshed that Castle carries out - with his work even initially being thought to be the work of a small army, since the idea of one lone person pulling all of this off seems unthinkable. As such, Punisher exists as a looming specter over the second season, and a mystery of sorts before him and Daredevil come face to face - and even after, as Matt, Karen and Foggy try to work out what really led to his family being gunned down.
This also makes the slow reveal of Frank Castle's tragic past all the more poignant, as the series shows him at his most ruthless and unstoppable before revealing the layers that lie beneath, and the humanity and deep love for his family still present within him that makes him a more complex figure than the initial scenes of mayhem and bloodshed may have suggested to some viewers. As such, Daredevil's Punisher debut was a perfect introduction to this version of the character for fans new and old - which actually makes Daredevil: Born Again's job in some ways harder.
Daredevil: Born Again's Punisher Debut Is A Big Deal For The MCU
The Punisher appearing in Daredevil: Born Again is not only major because he's another major character from the Netflix Marvel shows, but also because he's a massive character in his own right. The Punisher comics are a cornerstone of Marvel, and have served as a darker series that has appealed to viewers who aren't as inclined to read about the exploits of more light-hearted heroes. With the MCU moving into some more adult releases - as evidenced by Deadpool & Wolverine and Daredevil: Born Again being R-rated - The Punisher entering the franchise formally is a big move in this regard.
Daredevil: Born Again season 1 is set to premiere on March 4, 2025.
While Bernthal's Punisher returning in Daredevil: Born Again serves to reinforce the idea that Daredevil is now canon to the MCU after some time where the show's status was unclear, it also serves to introduce the character to viewers who have only watched MCU releases, and thus didn't watch Daredevil when it initially came out and was at best liminally part of the cinematic world. As such, Daredevil: Born Again's Punisher debut needs to bring the character to an audience who in part have never seen any of his on-screen backstory, while also appealing to those who've seen it all.
This presents some natural issues, as explaining Castle's history - so viewers who, not unfairly, don't want to watch tens of hours of a show to understand a side character in Born Again - risks feeling repetitive and uninteresting to viewers who already saw the original Daredevil introduction and The Punisher itself, but not doing so could alienate a big chunk of MCU fans too. With The Punisher's Daredevil introduction being such an effective and emotive way to bring him into the universe, it definitely seems like there's some real challenges in ensuring his Daredevil: Born Again debut holds up in comparison.
I'm Still Hopeful For The Punisher's MCU Return After Some Daredevil: Born Again Comments
Handling the return of The Punisher and making his first Daredevil: Born Again appearance be on par with his first Daredevil appearance is something of a high bar for the upcoming MCU show. However, I do have hope the 2025 series can live up to this based on recent comments about the series, and how its darker direction can align well with Frank Castle's own story, bringing the franchise another potential way to expand into corners of Marvel's lore that previous stories have stayed away from in order to avoid earning higher age ratings.
In an interview with SFX magazine (via GamesRadar), Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane stated that the show would be akin to DC's gritty and critically acclaimed The Penguin series, explaining: "We're much darker. This is as far as a Disney Plus show has ever gone." Scardapane also teased that one fight sequence "is straight out bat-s--t and way farther past anything Netflix's Daredevil ever did, and it's absolutely earned." Even if this sequence doesn't feature The Punisher, it certainly suggests the MCU series can get even closer to the kind of Punisher stories that are common in the comics.
- Created by
- Kevin Feige
- First Film
- Iron Man
- Upcoming Films
- Blade, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars
- First TV Show
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Upcoming TV Shows
- Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Vision Quest
- Cast
- Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors
