If you were looking for a reason to keep following the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, here it is: The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as ruthless antihero Frank Castle AKA The Punisher for the upcoming soft reboot Daredevil: Born Again.
With filming reportedly scheduled to begin in New York later this month, Bernthal (re)joins Charlie Cox, who portrays the titular lawyer-cum-vigilante Matt Murdoch / Daredevil, and character actor extraordinaire Vincent D’Onofrio, who portrays the main villain Wilson Fisk / Kingpin.
“Born Again takes its title from a landmark Daredevil storyline published in 1986, written by Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzuchelli. The show is deviating from that plot, although by how much is unclear. The Punisher, for example, made no appearance in the comic story. Daredevil versus Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin, remains the focal point,” explains Borys Kit and Aaron Couch of The Hollywood Reporter.
“However, other actors from the Netflix Daredevil series are not expected to return. Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson, who played classic supporting characters Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, respectively, are not on the roll call for the Marvel series. It is also unclear whether those characters will be recast or excised from the story.”
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But despite the wave of relief that’s probably washing over fans of Bernthal’s iteration of The Punisher which was first introduced by Netflix’s Daredevil and The Punisher spin-off series, there’s still another pressing concern about the 18 episodes destined for Disney+.
Since the announcement of Daredevil: Born Again, many have speculated whether the gritty tone of Netflix’s contributions to the MCU would be preserved, or if the approach would be “Disney-fied” (read: a PG-13 Punisher).
“I think if there’s any let up on that character, you do a disservice to the character, to every iteration of the character, to every comic book that’s come before, and to all of the unbelievable fans of the character,” Jon Bernthal noted back in 2021 when prompted about the possibility of his return as Frank Castle / The Punisher.
“This character means so much to people in the military. So like I said before, it’s not about whether you do the character; it’s about whether you can do it right, and I’m only interested in doing it right.”
Only time will tell…
Daredevil: Born Again starring Charlie Cox, Frank Castle, and Vincent D’Onofrio does not yet have a confirmed release date, although is expected to arrive sometime in 2024.
