After 6 years off-screen, I’m gratefulDaredevil: Born Againseason 1 nailed the one thing theMCUneeded to get right about the Punisher upon his return to the small screen. The return of the likes of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, and - of course - Jon Bernthal’s Punisher have been cause for celebration for many Marvel fans, especially since it appeared as though these role reprisals might be impossible earlier in the franchise’s run. Now, not only have these figures returned, but they’ve also been cemented in inthe MCU timelinemore concretely byDaredevil: Born Again’s story.
Daredevil: Born Againalso succeeds at arguably its greatest challenge yet - namely, that of making the series feel like it carries on the spirit of the originalDaredevil, while also making it feel in line with itsMCU showbrethren. Given these successes, it’s perhaps no surprise that the story achieved a vital but ultimately side goal in terms of its depiction of the Punisher - but this feat is one I’m still pleased to see the MCU nail, particularly given the MCU’s history has historically tended to veer away from the Punisher’s more R-rated side of Marvel’s source material.
Daredevil: Born Again’s Punisher Return Came After 6 Years Without Jon Bernthal’s Iteration Of The Character On-Screen
While the return of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil inSpider-Man: No Way Homewas a major plot twist for the MCU, it also meant Matt Murdock returned to screens years earlier than Bernthal’s Punisher, who was instead delayed for several more years, first reprising his role inDaredevil: Born Againseason 1, episode 4. With Bernthal’s Punisher having last been seen before that in the ending ofThe Punisherseason 2 - which released in 2019 - this meansthis Punisher was off-screen for 6 years, and with it looking for the majority of this time like he might well never return.
Helpfully, though, the story ofDaredevil: Born Againitself fits this period of time into its story, as it’s shown that the Punisher has returned to New York during this off-screen time and has found himself a new hideout. Frank Castle and Matt Murdock’s reunion also shows that the two are just as at odds as ever about what being a vigilante should entail, and where the line in the sand is in terms of doling out retribution - with this latter aspect helping set up the MCU perfectly nailing a much-needed part of the Punisher’s on-screen return later on.
Daredevil: Born Again’s Season 1 Proved The MCU Can Pull Off Punisher Fight Scenes As Well As The Original Series
Given the Punisher’s return inDaredevil: Born Againseason 1, episode 4 ended up being just to talk with Daredevil, it seemed like the series might avoid giving Frank Castle the full extended fight scenes fans had dared to dream would be in this chapter of the MCU. Indeed, given much ofDaredevil: Born Againfocuses around the then-temporarily retired vigilante - and aspinoff forThe Punisherwas confirmed to be on the way - the possibility ofDaredevil: Born Againseason 1 simply not having time to show the character doing what he’s most well-known for seemed entirely possible.
Mercifully, the final episodes ofDaredevil: Born Againseason 1 showed this was very much not the case, with the Punisher saving Daredevil in episode 9, and then facing off against Mayor Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force and the officers who had begun to use the Punisher’s logo, much to Castle’s outrage.What this results in is some of the best fight scenes in the series thus far, and plenty of moments that hold up compared to both the originalDaredevilandThe Punishershowitself.
Daredevil and the Punisher’s tag-team fight has parallels with the duo teaming up inDaredevilseason 2 - complete with the Punisher shooting through a window for the sake of a surprise attack, and the bonus tension of the two working together while so clearly still at odds with one another. The dimly shot fight scene lighting up with gunshots is also reminiscent ofThe Punisherseason 1, episode 7’s decision to have Castle use a smoke bomb to his tactical advantage during the middle of a tense shootout in a military base, with both using this premise to great effect.
However, the most characteristically Punisher-esque fight is Castle’s standoff against Fisk’s Task Force later on. The sequence has all of the brutality and no-holds-barred violence and chaos ofThe PunisherandDaredevil’s best Punisher fights, and with some suitably gory moments to boot - like Castle throwing an axe into the middle of someone’s head. The frenetic action and rage shown here further sells the idea that, while we haven’t seen the Punisher fight on-screen in some time, his fury has arguably only further solidified him into a one-man war that is willing to take on an entire group solo.
Daredevil: Born Again’s Punisher Fight Scenes Have Made Me Even More Excited For The Character’s Own Upcoming Spinoff
Daredevil: Born Againtakes care to do right by the Punisher and Marvel’s previous depiction of him, particularly when it comes to showing just how ruthless he still is. However, the series still doesn’t get much time to delve into the character, since its focus is primarily and not unfairly on Daredevil and Kingpin. Though this scarcity does make the fact the MCU show still took the time to give Punisher his moments in the sun and significance in the plot special, it also underlines that there wasn’t a huge amount of time for his story to unfold here.
As such,the fact that a Punisher spinoff Special Presentation has been confirmed for the MCU’s future feels like a best of both worlds scenario - able to build on the prior stellar fight scenes and story setup, while also letting Frank Castle be the focal star of the upcoming installment in a way he couldn’t be inDaredevil: Born Again. Given thepost-credits scene forDaredevil: Born Againseason 1closes this chapter of the show with the Punisher escaping confinement, the Special Presentation certainly looks like it might have a lot to work with story-wise from the offset.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter, The PunisherSpecial Presentation is set to release in 2026 alongsideDaredevil: Born Againseason 2, which has been revealed to have a March 2026 debut.
Knowing that the MCU isn’t afraid to let the Punisher go all out in fights - or even outside them, given how brutal hisDaredevil: Born Againpost-credits scene is - the potential for the vigilante’s upcoming spinoff seems more ample than ever, despite Frank Castle only getting a few scenes back after his hiatus. Indeed, the fact that this is the case bodes well for how the MCU may handle him going forward, and further reinforces my hopes that we will get to see plenty more of the Punisher and his particular brand of mayhem in the future.
