The Punisher Confirmed To Not Appear in DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Season 2
Fans gearing up for the return of Daredevil: Born Again have a lot to look forward to, but one major Marvel character is stepping aside for now. While plenty of familiar heroes and foes are coming back, Frank Castle is not one of them. Instead, Marvel Studios has different plans for the character that push him into his own corner of the MCU.
In a new Empire magazine interview, executive producer Sana Amanat confirmed that Jon Bernthal will not appear as the Punisher in Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again.
Castle made an explosive MCU debut in Season 1, which had fans expecting his story to continue right alongside Matt Murdock. Amanat made it clear that this chapter of the show is heading in a different direction and that Castle’s journey will continue with his own project.
Marvel is shifting him to a separate spotlight with The Punisher special arriving in 2026. This is a one hour standalone Marvel Studios Special Presentation similar to Werewolf By Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
Along with Bernthal, Jason R. Moore is back as Curtis Hoyle and the project is being directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, known for King Richard. Story details are being kept quiet, but recent set photos suggest that comic villain Ma Gnucci may be involved which has fans already speculating about the tone and intensity of Castle’s next outing.
While Castle heads off into his own story, the Man Without Fear is already deep in preparation for what comes next. Writing has officially begun on Season 3 of the series even though we are still months away from the Season 2 premiere.
Amanat teased the creative direction, saying this chapter aims “to make it more stripped down back to basics Daredevil. The ideas we have are places we haven't gone before, and that's really thrilling.”
The Punisher’s story arc is also going to continue in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and he is going to have a big role in that story! So, while we won’t see the character in Born Again Season 2, we will see plenty more of him in these other projects.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 arrives on Disney Plus on March 4, 2026.