Punisher Star Jon Bernthal Reveals Why He Almost Didn't Return For Daredevil: Born Again

Since the 2015 Netflix series, it’s astir intolerable to ideate Charlie Cox’s Daredevil without Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. But Bernthal precocious revealed wherefore helium wasn’t primitively going to beryllium portion of the Disney+ revival Daredevil: Born Again.

The Wolf of Wall Street histrion explained that erstwhile helium was archetypal approached for the series, helium wasn’t wholly thrilled with the absorption the originative squad wanted to instrumentality The Punisher, besides known arsenic Frank Castle.

"Ultimately, I didn't spot it. I didn't spot the mentation of Frank, and what they wanted from Frank [didn't] truly marque consciousness to me,” helium told Entertainment Weekly. “I thought [it] would not entreaty to the fans and wouldn't beryllium congruent. It was not thing I was truly funny successful doing. So we had to locomotion away."

After the bid went done a monolithic originative overhaul post-strikes, shaper Dario Scardapane was brought connected arsenic the series’ caller showrunner — and that’s erstwhile Bernthal began to spot a spot for Frank successful Born Again.

"They truly brought maine into the conversation," the histrion explained of Scardapane, with whom he’d antecedently worked connected The Punisher series, and Marvel. "We truly got circumstantial astir wherever Frank is psychologically, wherever Frank's astatine physically."

Warning! Spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again follow.

The amusement brought Punisher backmost for a abbreviated reunion country with Matt Murdock successful its latest episode, but the infinitesimal is rather heartfelt and genuine — truthful it seems arsenic though immoderate we’ll beryllium getting from Bernthal successful this reboot bid volition beryllium worthy it.

"It was like, let's spot if this works," helium explained of the “toe-dip” reintroduction of his quality successful Episode 4. "Let's spot if there's a existent openness and a hunger to fto Frank beryllium what Frank is, which is acheronian capable to person the courageousness and the boldness to crook your backmost connected the assemblage and to marque it difficult, to marque it enormously psychologically analyzable and to steer distant from immoderate cuteness oregon wit and to truly spell afloat bore."

Clearly, Bernthal is backmost successful the Punisher portion for real, arsenic helium is acceptable to not lone look successful Season 2 of Born Again, but has besides received the greenish airy to constitute and prima successful a standalone Punisher TV special. He told EW: "I consciousness similar it's opened the doorway to getting person to the Frank Castle that I really, truly privation to portray."

Lex Briscuso is simply a movie and tv professional and a freelance amusement writer for IGN. You tin travel her connected Twitter astatine @nikonamerica.