How Daredevil: Born Again Could Reintroduce The Punisher to the MCU

By Adam Barnhardt

Matt Corman and Chris Ord are hard at work writing the extended 18-episode debut season of Daredevil: Born Again, the first project from Marvel Studios featuring the Man Without Fear in a title role. To date, just Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio have been announced as returning cast members, reprising their roles as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, respectively. With 18 episodes on the docket—double the size of She-Hulk and WandaVision, and triple the episodes of all of Marvel's other live-action shows—there are plenty of stories to be told. One of those stories should feature the return of Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle.

Enter The Punisher.

If we think back a couple years, viewers of the DefendersVerse will recall Bernthal's debut as Castle came during the second season of Netflix's Daredevil, featuring Murdock (Cox) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) defending the gun-toting vigilante in court. Bernthal's performance in the series was lauded enough, Marvel Television and Netflix worked out a deal to make two seasons of television featuring the character in the lead role.

We've yet to see if Marvel Studios considers those seasons of the DefendersVerse in the same continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the multiverse now split wide open, it's unclear if the mini-universe is actually within the "Prime MCU" or an alternate reality. For just a second, let's imagine it is in the prime timeline.

Perhaps both Murdock and Castle managed to survive Thanos' Snap in Avengers: Infinity War. Given the two have history together, it stands to reason Murdock will want to keep tabs of the fan-favorite antihero given his violent nature and maybe, just maybe, the two lost contact at some point during The Blip. Rumors have started to spread suggesting Murdock is appearing in Echo in an attempt to reestablish contact with a long-lost friend. Could this friend be Frank Castle?

Marvel Studios will have an uphill battle reintroducing a character like The Punisher at this point in time but where there's a will, there's a way. And if the stars align just right, Daredevil: Born Again can be that way.

Daredevil: Born Again is expected to drop Spring 2024. The first three seasons of Daredevil and The Defenders limited series can now be seen on Disney+.

What other characters do you hope to see join Marvel's new Daredevil series? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!

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