Jon Bernthal first played Frank Castle in Daredevil season 2 and, while his character's origin story was somewhat convoluted, The Walking Dead alum's interpretation of The Punisher resonated with fans in a big way.
A spin-off followed, though it only lasted two seasons before the launch of Disney+ saw Netflix pull the plug on it and every other Marvel Television series it hosted.
Bernthal has since reprised arguably his most iconic role in Daredevil: Born Again. While he's only expected to appear in a few episodes, the actor will likely have more to do when season 2 arrives next year and is confirmed to take centre stage in a Special Presentation he's writing with director Reinaldo Marcus Green.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, that will air in 2026 alongside Daredevil: Born Again and, at the SXSW premiere of his new movie The Accountant 2, Bernthal shared some insights into what fans can expect.
"I care very deeply about Frank, I’m really grateful that I’m getting the opportunity to tell the story that I think the fans deserve," he said. "We’re giving it our all and we’re trying to tell a Frank Castle story that we’re going to turn our back on the audience - it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be light, and I think it’s the version that this character deserves and I’m just beyond honored and grateful that we get the opportunity."
Asked how the standalone special will compare to the Netflix series, Bernthal teased, "It’s going to be dark; Frank has no interest in breaking out the darkness. It’s not going to be easy. I don’t know if that’s the Netflix tone then that’s what it’s going to be. It will not be Punisher-lite, I promise you that."
It sounds like Bernthal is setting out to deliver an even more authentic take on Frank Castle than what we saw on Netflix, and that means it's going to be violent and, judging by these remarks, pretty thought-provoking as well.
Before we get to that, The Punisher will have a key role to play in Daredevil: Born Again. As we teased in our review, "When Frank Castle is fully unleashed, nothing will prepare you for what comes next."
You can see Bernthal arriving on the red carpet in the X post below. We also have a new promo for Daredevil: Born Again featuring even more praise for the series.
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.
"A masterpiece of epic proportions, Daredevil: Born Again delivers a powerful, unmissable take on the Man Without Fear," we said in our review. "Putting street-level heroics on the map in a way that promises to change the MCU forever, the show is sublime superhero storytelling on a whole new level."
Daredevil: Born Again's first two episodes are now streaming on Disney+.