Jon Bernthal initially declined to reprise his role as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again due to creative differences with Marvel Studios’ original vision for the character. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor revealed he only agreed to return as the Punisher after Marvel Studios dramatically overhauled Daredevil: Born Again‘s creative direction following the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Bernthal, who debuted as Frank Castle in Daredevil Season 2 before headlining his own series on Netflix, made his MCU return in Episode 4 of the Disney+ revival. His principled stance on the character’s portrayal ultimately influenced Marvel’s decision to shift the series toward a darker, more faithful representation of the vigilante, which is also getting a Marvel Television special presentation.
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“It was like, let’s see if this works. Let’s see if there’s a real openness and a hunger to let Frank be what Frank is, which is dark enough to have the courage and the boldness to turn your back on the audience and to make it difficult, to make it enormously psychologically complex and to steer away from any cuteness or humor and to really go full bore,” Bernthal told about his initial conversations with Marvel. “Ultimately, I didn’t see it. I didn’t see the version of Frank, and what they wanted from Frank [didn’t] really make sense to me, and I thought it would not appeal to the fans and wouldn’t be congruent. It was not something I was really interested in doing.”
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“Sometimes you have to be very, very clear with your intentions in this business,” he explained. “You can’t get confused with how much you love something, how much you love playing something, how much you want to do something. You got to make sure you’re serving it. You got to make sure you’re doing justice to the people that believe in it and doing justice to the iterations that have come before you.” Bernthal’s refusal stemmed from his commitment to authentically representing the character, particularly for fans who deeply connect with the Punisher. This stance changed only after Marvel Studios’ comprehensive creative reset when the actor was brought into the development process. “They really brought me into the conversation,” Bernthal said of the revamped production. “We really got specific about where Frank is psychologically, where Frank’s at physically.”
How Daredevil: Born Again‘s Creative Overhaul Salvaged The Punisher’s Return
The dramatic transformation of Daredevil: Born Again during production proved essential in securing Bernthal’s participation. Marvel halted the show’s original direction in November 2023, replacing head writers Matt Corman and Chris Ord with The Punisher veteran Dario Scardapane. According to reports, the initial version was being developed as a lighter, more procedural courtroom drama — an approach fundamentally at odds with Bernthal’s vision for Frank Castle. Charlie Cox, who stars as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, confirmed this shift in a January interview, stating: “There was a U-turn after the strike, where we were headed in one direction, which was interesting and valid. The argument was, if we’re coming back after all these years, we don’t want to just do exactly the same thing. Marvel looked at the episodes and knew it wasn’t quite working.”
This creative pivot is evident in Bernthal’s appearance in Episode 4 of Born Again, where viewers find a version of Frank Castle who has fully embraced his identity as the Punisher. The episode reveals Castle living in isolation, surrounded by weapons and criminal files, having abandoned any pretense of returning to normal society. This portrayal addresses criticisms some fans had of the Netflix series, which spent significant time exploring Castle’s trauma and potential for redemption before committing to the character’s vigilante persona.
Bernthal’s influence extends beyond Born Again to the upcoming Punisher special he’s developing with director Reinaldo Marcus Green. The actor, who is co-writing the project, has promised an uncompromising take on the character. “I care very deeply about Frank, I’m really grateful that I’m getting the opportunity to tell the story that I think the fans deserve,” Bernthal previously stated. “We’re giving it our all and we’re trying to tell a Frank Castle story that we’re going to turn our back on the audience — it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be light.”
New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again premiere on Disney+ every Tuesday, with Bernthal’s Punisher expected to play a significant role as the season progresses.
What did you think of the Punisher’s return in Daredevil: Born Again? Was Bernthal right to fight for a grittier version of the character? Let us know in the comments!
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