The Punisher is making major waves in the MCU, but with its lack of Daredevil: Born Again season 2, it seems unlikely that we’ll see a major storyline continue. Daredevil was a compelling series and story that Marvel Studios ultimately incorporated with their soft reboot, Daredevil: Born Again.
Long before the MCU officially adopted a handful of television shows to place under the Marvel Studios banner, shows like the Netflix Marvel series were able to showcase a different side of Marvel comic book characters, such as the heroes who operate in Hell’s Kitchen.
These street advocates lived a captivating story that unfolded in five separate shows, before coming together in The defenders. But one of the most fascinating stories to emerge from this chaos is that of Frank Castle, a vigilante who operated very differently from his peers.
No Punisher In Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Means Castle Won’t Meet Fisk
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. Obviously this puts him at odds with Daredevil, but the two have managed to find common ground and even work together on occasion.
From its beginnings in Daredevil From season 2 until his arrival in the MCU, Castle fought alongside Daredevil several times. However, this partnership appears to be on hold with confirmation that The Punisher will not 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: A Whole New Dayand a special solo Punisher project, but none of them will likely include Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, which leaves a developing storyline between these two characters unresolved.
Frank Castle has unresolved cases with Wilson Fisk since 2016
When Frank Castle first appears in Daredevilhe has a pretty 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 with Castle privately and make a deal.
In order to survive in prison, Fisk suggests that they look out for each other. While Castle is extremely hesitant and reluctant to trust Fisk, Fisk uses information about another prisoner who could share details about the murder of Frank’s family. 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 obtains the information he wanted before assassinating Fisk’s intended target. However, that was when Fisk betrayed his new ally while locked in the cell block with inmates who supported his victim.
Frank Castle demonstrates extraordinary determination and skill as he single-handedly slaughters an army of criminals, becoming the last man alive after a grueling battle. At this point, Fisk attempts to make a new deal in exchange for Frank’s release from prison.
Clearly, 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 had the opportunity to attack the king.
The Punisher not meeting the pivot of Born Again is a huge missed opportunity
The fact is that Frank Castle is not someone who lets things go. His title, The Punisher, came about because he inflicts brutal and fatal judgments on people he considers monsters, usually because they have been personally wronged. He is an avenging angel who demands justice for wrongdoing.
Wilson Fisk wronged Frank, and in Daredevil: Born AgainCastle ends up having another altercation with the current mayor of New York, Fisk, who imprisons him in a cage in his basement. But if Frank doesn’t come back Daredevil: Born Again season 2, he still has to find a way to get revenge on Fisk.
If Frank Castle returns for next season, this would be the perfect time to include him in Daredevil’s new vigilante army and rise up against Mayor Fisk. This could lead to scenes that would satisfy Frank’s desire for revenge and see Fisk pay for the harm he caused.
Instead, the next season will proceed without one of the Netflix Marvel shows’ most pivotal rivalries, and potentially leave that storyline unresolved for good. Hopefully that won’t be the case and there will be a showdown between the two later, but right now it seems very doubtful that that will happen.
There’s no doubt that Kingpin will have his hands full trying to deal with Matt Murdock and his army of crusading vigilantes, but it feels 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.
