The Punisher made an explosive return to the small screen inDaredevil: Born Againand perfectly laid the groundwork for his upcomingMCUshow. As one ofthe MCU’s most violent characters, Frank Castle is a perfect fit for the latest TV-MA-rated series in the MCU. Although his initial debut inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 4 was relatively tame compared to his previous outings, theDaredevil: Born Againfinale was crammed with plenty of R-rated moments to which Castle was predictably a significant contributor.
It was also thanks to the Punisher thatDaredevil: Born Againepisode 9 was so well-received. After debuting inDaredevilseason 2 and going on to star in two seasons of his own self-titled spin-off, Jon Bernthal proved (alongside his co-stars) that he is still worthy of the MCU fandom’s faith intheDaredevil: Born Againfinale, returning to form after six years' absence. Now, Bernthal is due to star once again in a second spin-off, which couldn’t have been more capably teed up byDaredevil: Born Againepisode 9.
Punisher’s Daredevil: Born Again Is Just A Small Glimpse Of The MCU’s Anti-Hero
Punisher Only Featured A Few Action-Packed Scenes
Enthusiasm for the Punisher’s return was at fever pitch by the time theDaredevil: Born Againfinale aired this week, with four episodes separating his two appearances. Thankfully, Frank Castle was back in full force, joining Matt Murdock in his apartment moments before Wilson Fisk’s corrupt task force was due to descend on their location.The ensuing scene certainly paid off Punisher’s absenceas he and Daredevil proceeded to make short work of the police force in their typical fashion, with Castle pulling no punches.
The Punisher’s renown is rooted in his being a one-man army, yet in the two short fights he took part in, one was part of a team-up, and the other saw him defeated.
The Punisher would subsequently return to his solo MO. Descending on Red Hook with murderous intent,he encounters the task force on their home turf and brutally kills several before ultimately being overwhelmedby their superior numbers. This leads to a tense exchange as he ridicules a cohort of the corrupt cops who co-opted his iconography, provoking a cavalcade of punches to the face and leaving his fate up in the air.
The scenes were fantastic, but all too brief. The Punisher’s renown is rooted in his being a one-man army, yet in the two short fights he took part in, one was part of a team-up, and the other saw him defeated. The good news is that the Punisher is due to return, and it won’t be too long for fans to wait, either.
Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Is Getting His Own MCU Spinoff
It Will Be An MCU Special Feature
The Punisher will return in an MCU special feature due to be released at the same time asDaredevil: Born Againseason 2, whichDario Scardapanerecently announced via Instagram would be released in March 2026. Previous examples of the MCU’s special features includeWerewolf by NightandThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, meaning the Punisher special feature will likely comprise one episode between 40 and 60 minutes long. Actor Jon Bernthal is writing the feature alongside the special feature director, Reinaldo Marcus Green.
Reinaldo Marcus Green and John Bernthal recently worked with one another onWe Own This City.
While thePunisher’s two short scenes inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 9 might have left many viewers wanting more, the prospect of the Punisher’s special feature being an hour long paints a positive picture. With Frank Castle being defined by his righteous rampages, it stands to reason that one of these is what his special feature spin-off will be almost exclusively composed of. At the very least, we can expect that it will start strong, iftheDaredevil: Born Againpost-credits sceneis anything to go by.
Punisher Escapes His Shackles With Kingpin’s Task Force In His Sights
Image via Disney+
The ending toDaredevil: Born Againwas an epic set-up of Daredevil’s retaliation against the Kingpin’s return, withDaredevil promising to form an army. Nevertheless,the final scene of the show was granted to Frank Castle, who was last seen imprisoned in a cage in Kingpin’s dungeon. Despite being one of many prisoners, Punisher is the only one whose hands are shackled. Punisher vindicates this decision in the post-credits scene, where he charms a guard into getting close enough to break his arm.
As the screen turns black, the audience hears the rattling of keys and a cage being unlocked.It leaves enough of a question mark over the events for Bernthal and Green to take myriad routes with the story, but it’s safe to assume that Punisher has escaped his incarceration. At this juncture, it seems clear that bothDaredevil: Born Againand the Punisher special feature will deal with the same fallout, with Kingpin and his task force in both Matt Murdock’s and Frank Castle’s sights - though it will be some time before this is confirmed.
