Marvel is answering the prayers of many with word that Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is returning for the upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bernthal is reprising his hard-hitting role as Frank Castle for the forthcoming series, starring Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofiro as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, and Kingpin, respectively. Unfortunately, Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson are not expected to reprise their roles as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson in Daredevil: Born Again.
Cameras will roll in New York this month for the highly-anticipated series, consisting of 18 episodes. Daredevil: Born Again is Marvel’s most ambitious Disney+ series to date. Fans are excited for the Man Without Fear to return for more gritty action in Marvel’s criminal-infested version of Hell’s Kitchen. Many wonder how Disney plans to approach the show’s violence and dark tone.
Bernthal played Frank Castle for two seasons of Marvel’s The Punisher on Netflix before the streaming network canceled the show. Bernthal is arguably the best version of Frank Castle, thanks to the actor’s unrelenting passion for the character. Bernthal has repeatedly expressed interest in reprising the role, encouraging fans to stay on top of Marvel for a series revival. While a part in Daredevil: Born Again isn’t a reboot of the Punisher solo series, it does bring Castle, and Bernthal, back into the fold.
Now that the Punisher is returning, the question of the new show’s level of violence remains. In December, Cox told NME that Born Again might not be as violent as the three-season Netflix series, saying, “My opinion is this character works best when he’s geared towards a slightly more mature audience. My instinct is that on Disney+ it will be dark but it probably won’t be as gory,” Cox said about Daredevil operating under Disney’s wing. “I would say to those people, we’ve done that. Let’s take the things that really worked, but can we broaden? Can we appeal to a slightly younger audience without losing what we’ve learned about what works?”
While Cox seems optimistic about Disney’s handling of Daredevil, hardcore fans might need more convincing. On the positive end of the spectrum, Daredevil: Born Again is shaping up to be one of Marvel’s most ambitious shoots for a television series. According to Cox, filming for Born Again will devour most of his 2023. “They said to me, ‘We’re going to be shooting in 2023’,” Cox explained. “I said, ‘Great, when?’ They said, ‘All 2023’. I start shooting in February and finish in December.”
Daredevil: Born Again is written and executive produced by Matt Corman and Chris Ord and will have eighteen episodes. After several years of rumors following the cancellation of Netflix’s Daredevil series, Charlie Cox leaped to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Spider-Man: No Way Home. He also suited up for She-Hulk and is expected to appear in the upcoming Echo series. As for Vincent D’Onofrio, he returned for Hawkeye and will also appear in Echo.
Are you excited about Bernthal returning to Marvel to play Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again? Do you think Frank will wear his original logo or introduce audiences to the character’s new symbol? Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments.