Punisher’s Fate in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Revealed

Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will not appear in season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, even though the character made his MCU return in the first season.

This update comes from a new Empire magazine interview with executive producer Sana Amanat, who confirmed that Frank Castle won’t be part of the next chapter of the show.

Even without a season 2 return, Marvel fans will still see the Punisher again. Instead of joining Matt Murdock’s story, Frank Castle is getting his own special.

Marvel Studios is making a one-hour standalone TV movie for Disney+, planned for a 2026 release. This will be the third title released under the Marvel Studios Special Presentation banner. The project is being written by Jon Bernthal and director Reinaldo Marcus Green, who previously worked together on King Richard and We Own This City.

Bernthal is once again playing Frank Castle. The special also brings back Jason R. Moore as Curtis Hoyle, and Roe Rancell has joined as Dennis. Production took place in New York City during the summer this year, including scenes shot in Queens and Brooklyn. The shoot lasted around twelve days. The story is expected to be dark and intense, with Marvel aiming for a TV-MA rating.

According to Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios’ head of streaming, the Punisher is a character with deep emotional weight, and the team wanted the special to reflect that. Bernthal also spoke about the tone, saying he wanted a version that felt true to the character.

He explained, “I really want to earn this and I really want this to be good.” He added that the story would not soften the character, saying it would be the “visceral, psychologically complex, unforgiving, no-holds-barred version of Frank.”

Marvel developed the idea for the special while filming the first season of Daredevil: Born Again. Bernthal had pitched a story, and Marvel encouraged him to shape it with Green. Winderbaum said Frank Castle means a lot to Bernthal and called his take on the character iconic.

The Punisher special will arrive on Disney+ in 2026, around the same time that Daredevil: Born Again season 2 is expected to drop.

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