Jon Bernthal To Return As Frank Castle In ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

Disney is reclaiming The Punisher.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jon Bernthal has joined the cast of Marvel studios upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series as Frank Castle, the part he first played in the second season of Netflix’s Daredevil series and again for two season of The Punisher. The Disney+ Born Again stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio as their Daredevil roles — Matt Murdoch and Wilson Fisk — but viewed through the Marvel Cinematic Universe lens.

Of course, that lens continues to be a point of curiosity as the original Daredevil and Punisher programs were meant to take place in the MCU, but as a schism developed between Marvel Studios and Marvel Television, crossovers became non-existence and the Netflix shows made no references to events over in the movies. Now that TV and movies are under one creative direction, they connect in unprecedented ways.

Also unprecedented is Born Again‘s planned 18-episode length. A first for the studio’s TV unit and five episodes more than any of the Netflix Daredevil seasons. Additionally, recent reports suggest the program will be more episodic than its predecessor and most of the current Marvel Studios shows. Another departure: Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Hanson, who played Karen Page and Foggy Nelson in the Netflix iteration, are not expected to return with THR uncertain if the characters are sitting the series out or if they will be recast. Again, the transfer of sorts into the MCU proper means events, people, and ideas presented in the Netflix series can be re-written or discarded, so don’t expect Matt and Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) to dive into a rematch anytime soon.

Daredevil: Born Again is expected to debut in the Spring of 2024.