The Punisher likely to return in Disney Plus series Daredevil: Born Again

(Image credit: Netflix)

Jon Bernthal is set to return as Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, in the upcoming Disney Plus series Daredevil: Born Again, according to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter.

Citing unnamed sources, THR says Bernthal will join confirmed cast members Charlie Cox (who plays Matt Murdock, a.k.a Daredevil) and Vincent D'Onofrio (reprising the role of Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin) when the show begins filming in New York City next month.

Bernthal last portrayed the character in the second season of Netflix's The Punisher, which was unceremoniously canceled alongside the rest of the streaming giant's Marvel slate back in 2019.

The Punisher returns: What to expect

Given that Bernthal's take on The Punisher debuted in season two of Netflix's Daredevil series, it seems fitting that the classic Marvel vigilante would make his triumphant return alongside 'The Devil of Hell's Kitchen'.

Of course, how the character will be portrayed remains to be seen — it's unlikely that Disney's version of The Punisher will be as brutal as his portrayal on Netflix, with Cox telling THR last year that he believes Daredevil: Born Again "will be dark but it probably won’t be as gory.”

In an interview with THR back in 2021, Bernthal spoke about about whether his version of the character would fit into the MCU. "I think if there’s any let up on that character, you do a disservice to the character," he said, further stating that "it’s not about whether you do the character; it’s about whether you can do it right, and I’m only interested in doing it right.”

So if Bernthal is indeed returning as The Punisher, we have to assume Marvel Studios did a good job of convincing him that the character won't be too watered down. That said, we'll have to wait until Daredevil: Born Again arrives in 2024 to find out.

In the meantime, you can catch up with Bernthal's previous adventures as The Punisher on Disney Plus. Not yet a subscriber? You can sign up by clicking one of the options below.

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Stephen Lambrechts is the Managing Editor of Tom's Guide AU and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming for the last 15 years. Before Tom's Guide, he spent several years as a Senior Journalist at TechRadar, had a brief stint as Editor in Chief at Official Xbox Magazine Australia, and has written for such publications as APC, TechLife Australia, T3, FilmInk, AskMen, Daily Telegraph and IGN. He's an expert when it comes to smartphones, TVs, gaming and streaming. In his spare time, he enjoys watching obscure horror movies on physical media, keeping an eye on the latest retro sneaker releases and listening to vinyl. Occasionally, he also indulges in other non-hipster stuff, like hiking.