"I didn't see the version of Frank"— Jon Bernthal reveals why he walked away from the original version of Daredevil: Born Again

Daredevil: Born Again episode 4 premiered on Disney+ on March 18, 2025, and it saw a huge return take place. After last playing the role in The Punisher season 2 in 2019, Jon Bernthal finally returned to the role of Frank Castle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe again. However, at one point, this return wasn't set to take place as the original pitch didn't excite the actor as much.

It's very well known that Daredevil: Born Again went through a massive creative overhaul where the original writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman were let go after six episodes were shot, and writer Dario Scarpadane was brought in.

When the original writers came in with their original pitch for Frank Castle's return, Bernthal revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he wasn't interested in doing what they wanted as he didn't agree with Frank's characterization.

"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 would not appeal to the fans and wouldn't be congruent," said Bernthal.

He continued:

""It was not something I was really interested in doing. So we had to walk away."

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Jon Bernthal discusses his return as the Punisher in Daredevil: Born Again

Following this, Bernthal further discussed his return in Daredevil: Born Again as The Punisher. First introduced as the character in Daredevil season 2 and then going on to play the role in two seasons of his own show, the actor has quite the attachment to the series. He credits the new showrunner, Dario Scarpadane, for allowing him to be more collaborative, which led to him coming back.

"They really brought me into the conversation. We really got specific about where Frank is psychologically, where Frank's at physically," said Bernthal.

Following this, Bernthal also further discussed his upcoming The Punisher special for Disney+, which he is writing as well. He called the special, well, "special" and how it will be giving fans a "no-holds-barred" version of Frank Castle that many have wanted to see for a while.

"I really want to earn this and I really want this to be good. The story that we've laid out is, I think, really special," shared Bernthal.

He continued:

"It's the visceral, psychologically complex, unforgiving, no-holds-barred version of Frank where he's going to turn his back to the audience. And nothing is easy and all violence has a cost, and we're going to see that cost. I'm grateful that they're letting me go to the places that I really want to go."

As of now, it is unclear exactly when the special will come out, but it is set to be released next year on Disney+.

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Exploring Frank Castle's return in Daredevil: Born Again

In Daredevil: Born Again episode 4, following Hector Ayala's death, Matt decides to investigate the area where he was murdered. There he finds a bullet casing that has the Punisher logo engraved on it, and this leads to Matt seeking out Frank Castle. As cops have started dressing up as the Punisher and dishing out justice in his name, this ends up irking Frank.

However, their conversation turns a bit more philosophical as Frank then chastises Matt for not being himself and reminds him of Foggy's death. Seeing as the cops are now using the Punisher symbol to define themselves, it certainly looks like this will shape up a lot of Frank's arc going forward in the show.

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Fans can tune in for Daredevil: Born Again episode 4 as it is streaming on Disney+ right now.