It's no secret that Jon Bernthal reprises his role as The Punisher in Daredevil: Born Again and, while we're not going to give anything away, trust us when we say you're not ready for what's to come when Frank Castle returns.
Talking to GamesRadar+, Matt Murdock actor Charlie Cox dropped some exciting hints about what to expect from The Punisher's team-up with Daredevil.
"He has a couple of really great scenes, potentially iconic moments," he teased. "They're an absolute joy to shoot! I feel like Jon and Charlie are very different people, but Daredevil and Frank are much more similar to one another. So, it's fun to play with that."
"And often when I'm in a scene as Daredevil with Frank, he pulls me closer to a Daredevil that I'm frightened of and excited by," Cox continued. "And I think that it's written and baked in the material as well."
It's unclear whether The Punisher was always part of Daredevil: Born Again, though his role was likely expanded during the creative overhaul. Either way, Bernthal, who will return as Frank in a Marvel Studios Special Presentation, was given plenty of creative freedom with the character.
"There was a scene this season, and he cares so much, he gets so into it, like thinks about it, it's almost like a pain-body," Cox explained. "We had this scene and he called me the night before and he said 'Some of these lines don't make sense for me for where I'm at, I need to mess with these a little bit. Here's what I'm gonna say, I want to say this.'"
"He just changed some of his lines, he had kinda written his own thing. So, I had to adapt and relearn my stuff, which I'm totally okay to do as he's brilliant. And then we get to set and he didn't say any of those, he just made up a whole new set of lines. And I was like, 'Okay!'" the actor added.
Bernthal is co-writing The Punisher Special Presentation with director Reinaldo Marcus Green (We Own This City). Recently, he took to social media to tease what Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum recently described as a "shotgun blast of a story." You can learn more here.
Back to Daredevil: Born Again, and the hope is the series will serve as a launching platform for Bernthal's anti-hero to play a significant role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What are you hoping to see from Frank in Daredevil: Born Again?
In Marvel Television's Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.
The series also stars Margarita Levieva, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Zabryna Guevara, Nikki James, Genneya Walton, Arty Froushan, Clark Johnson, Michael Gandolfini, with Ayelet Zurer and Jon Bernthal. Dario Scardapane is showrunner.
Episodes are directed by Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Michael Cuesta, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, and David Boyd; and executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Sana Amanat, Chris Gary, Dario Scardapane, Christopher Ord & Matthew Corman, and Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead.
Daredevil: Born Again premieres with two episodes on Disney+ on March 4, 2025.