Jon Bernthal's Punisher and Charlie Cox's Daredevil in a street in Daredevil: Born Again season 1Photo courtesy of Marvel Television
By
Ben Gibbons
Published 56 minutes ago
Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History.
Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews.
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The Punisher is making major waves in the MCU, but with his absence from Daredevil: Born Again season 2, it seems unlikely that we will get to see one major storyline continued. Daredevil was a captivating series and story that Marvel Studios eventually incorporated with their soft reboot, Daredevil: Born Again.
Long before the MCU officially adopted a handful of TV shows to put under their Marvel Studios banner, shows like the Netflix Marvel series' were able to showcase another side of Marvel comic book characters, such as the heroes who operate within Hell's Kitchen.
These street-level defenders had a compelling story that unfolded across five separate shows, before coming together in The Defenders. But one of the most fascinating stories to come out of that chaos was Frank Castle's, a vigilante who operated very differently to his peers.
No Punisher In Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Means Castle Won't Meet Fisk
Jon Bernthal's Punisher in Daredevil: Born AgainPhoto by Giovanni Rufino
Frank Castle is technically a vigilante, but unlike Daredevil, he is ruthless and very willing to pull the trigger and end his targets' lives for good. Evidently, that puts him at odds with Daredevil, but the pair have been able to find common ground and even work together on occasion.
From his debut in Daredevil season 2 to his MCU arrival, Castle has fought beside Daredevil many times. However, that partnership appears to be on hold with the confirmation that The Punisher is not going to appear in Daredevil: Born Again season 2.
Jon Bernthal is set to play the character in a handful of other MCU projects, including Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and a special solo Punisher project, but neither of these will likely include Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk, which leaves a developing story between these two characters unresolved.
Frank Castle Has Had Unresolved Business With Wilson Fisk Since 2016
Vanessa Fisk smiling and looking up at Wilson Fisk in Daredevil: Born Again
When Frank Castle first appears in Daredevil, he has a rather intense encounter with Fisk. Both are imprisoned on Rikers Island, and Fisk appears to have considerable influence with the guards and warden who run the prison. This allows Fisk to meet Castle privately and strike a deal.
In order to survive in prison, Fisk suggests they look out for one another. While Castle is extremely hesitant and reluctant to put his trust in Fisk, Fisk uses information about another prisoner who could share details about Frank's family's murder. Fueled by his anger, Frank agrees to kill this inmate in exchange for mutual support in prison.
Frank is then escorted through the prison by Fisk's corrupt guards, and he gets the information he wanted before murdering Fisk's intended target. However, it was at this point that Fisk double-crossed his new ally as he was locked into the cell block with inmates who supported his victim.
Frank Castle displays extraordinary resolve and skill as he single-handedly massacres an army of criminals, becoming the last man alive after a grueling battle. At which point, Fisk tries to strike a new deal in exchange for freeing Frank from prison.
Evidently, Frank Castle has a vendetta against the man who betrayed him and used him for his own gain. But since that fateful encounter, Castle has rarely been given a chance to take a shot at the king.
The Punisher Not Meeting Kingpin In Born Again Is A Huge Missed Opportunity
Jon Bernthal with a beard and small cut on his cheek looking seriously at something in Daredevil Born Again
The thing is, Frank Castle is not someone who lets things go. His title, The Punisher, came about because he inflicts brutal and fatal judgments on people whom he deems to be monsters, usually because of having been personally wronged. He is an avenging angel, demanding justice for wrongdoing.
Wilson Fisk has wronged Frank, and in Daredevil: Born Again, Castle ends up having another run-in with the now mayor of New York City, Fisk, who imprisoned him in a cage in his cellar. But if Frank doesn't come back in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, he still needs to find a way to get even with Fisk.
If Frank Castle returned for the next season, it would be the perfect time to include him in Daredevil's new vigilante army and rise against Mayor Fisk. This could lead to scenes that satisfy Frank's lust for revenge and see Fisk pay for the harm he has caused.
Instead, the next season will play out without one of the most pivotal rivalries to come out of the Netflix Marvel shows, and potentially leave this storyline unresolved for good. Hopefully, that won't be the case, and there will be a confrontation between the pair later, but right now, it seems highly doubtful that this will happen at all.
No doubt, Kingpin will have his hands full of trying to deal with Matt Murdock and his army of vigilante crusaders, but it does feel like a missed opportunity to exclude a character like Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle, who brings so much to the table. Which means Daredevil: Born Again season 2 will have a missing piece in the form of Frank Castle.
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Daredevil: Born Again
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