Entertainment
Born Again’ Is Making a Big Mistake Not Including One of Its Best Characters in Season 2
Every week, it feels like there is a new piece of news regarding Seasons 2 and 3 of Daredevil: Born Again. Most of them, such as Wilson Bethel confirming Bullseye’s continuation into Season 3 and Tony Dalton revealing that his character Jack Duquesne will be getting more screen time, have been thoroughly encouraging signs of a creative team learning from past mistakes.
However, one recent reveal about Season 2 feels disastrous. Born Again producer Sana Amanat, revealed in an interview with Empire Magazine (via NexusPointNews) that Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) will not be appearing in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. While the reintroduction of Krysten Ritter‘s Jessica Jones is thrilling and something to look forward to, not having The Punisher risks taking away a key aspect of Matt’s (Charlie Cox) character development, as well as posing a serious issue for the logic of Castle’s absence, which will surely be felt throughout the season.
Frank Castle Not Appearing in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Already Feels Like a Plot Hole
As with every project in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is always the glaring concern for viewers about where different heroes were during a protagonist’s battle against nefarious forces. Already, there will be an expectation of some explanation for why Jessica Jones didn’t assist Matt in Season 1 when Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) was imposing authoritarianism on New York. However, the disappearance of Frank Castle will be an even harder absence to justify. In the Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 finale, “Straight to Hell,” the departing message was that Matt was creating a larger team to begin a more organized fight against Fisk for the soul of New York, with Castle’s post-credits escape from Fisk’s dungeon clearly hinting at The Punisher seeking revenge.
So, if Matt is going to war and needs an army… why wouldn’t he enlist the best soldier he could have? The Punisher teaming up with Daredevil for Season 2 seems like an especially obvious next step given Frank’s unfinished business regarding Fisk’s task force of corrupt cops who idolize Castle. Perhaps there will be a larger reason explaining why Castle needs to go into hiding or handle things differently before appearing in his own special and in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. However, this is a recurring symptom of the interconnected universe that frustrates many people and, it seems, will continue to do so.
One of the Best Parts of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 1 Was Daredevil and the Punisher’s Bromance
In losing Frank Castle, Born Again has lost a vital piece of Matt’s interpersonal dynamics with other heroes. While him and Jessica Jones will surely bring some great chemistry to the second season, Frank Castle and Matt Murdock are two characters who understand each other on a level few can due to their shared history as vigilantes who have repeatedly confronted and challenged each other about their stark differences on different matters. Their rapport led to fantastic scenes throughout Season 1 of Born Again, especially their argument around Matt’s response to Foggy’s (Elden Henson) murder in the premiere episode, “Heaven’s Half Hour.”
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 would have a fantastic opportunity for Matt and Frank to move beyond their disagreements. While the quality of writing and acting cannot be denied in their previous encounters, the constant framing of them as an immovable force meeting an unstoppable object when it came to a no-kill rule, and Matt believing Frank was meant for bigger things than vengeful murder, was becoming repetitive. If they had worked together on a more regular basis to stop Fisk’s dictatorship, this could have built on their dynamic and seen them move past their differences. Exploring more of the bromance seen in snippets, such as when Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) picks the pair of them up in the finale, and Frank agrees with Matt’s description of him as an “asshole,” while Matt takes the time to call “shotgun,” feels like it could have led to a funnier and yet still antagonistic relationship between the two.
What will likely happen instead is that Matt will ask Frank why he disappeared when the two eventually reunite. Will their relationship be set back to square one? Hopefully not, but it is difficult to imagine a world in which that isn’t the case. As of right now, it seems that there will be a Punisher-sized hole in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 we won’t be able to ignore.
- Release Date
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March 4, 2025
- Network
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Disney+
- Showrunner
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Chris Ord
- Directors
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Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, David Boyd, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
- Writers
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Jesse Wigutow, Jill Blankenship, Thomas Wong, David Feige, Grainne Godfree
- Franchise(s)
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Daredevil, Marvel Cinematic Universe
