Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again might just be the best TV series from the MCU in a while, despite it not being as good as its Netflix origins. Apart from Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, a few other familiar actors returned in beloved roles (some tragically). Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle a.k.a The Punisher is also set to return.
The ending of episode 3 saw a masked man dressed with a Punisher symbol shoot the vigilante White Tiger in the head. The symbol has come up on many occasions in the series already and it is only a matter of time before Frank Castle makes his appearance. Showrunner Dario Scaradapane’s statements just made me realize who might bring him back.
A legacy character will bring back The Punisher in Daredevil: Born Again episode 4
The final scene of Daredevil: Born Again’s third episode was haunting and tragic. Hector Ayala a.k.a the White Tiger has only a moment of relief as he gets acquitted of all charges and goes back to his vigilantism. Shot in the head by a masked man, the episode ends with the sounds of the coquis bird chirping, a reference to Hector’s dream.
However, the big reveal at the end was also the return of The Punisher symbol. The metallic skull has been seen many times in the revival series and the ending of this episode makes it all the more obvious that Frank Castle will return sooner than later. After listening to showrunner Dario Scardapane’s statements, I think Karen Page will bring him back.
Scardapane said that The Punisher will come back to Hell’s Kitchen for a specific reason and is brought by a character. He said (via TV Line),
I feel that whenever Frank comes into the story, hijinks ensue and in this story, that is very, very true. He comes in for a very, very particular reason, he is brought in by a very, very particular person, and I think that it will be immensely satisfying — and a bit like, ‘Oh, my God.’
Karen Page has already been seen in the premiere of the revival show, being with Matt and Foggy Nelson as the latter dies. She is said to be in San Francisco, away from all the chaos, but we all know Karen cannot stay without bringing in justice, by any means necessary.
Karen Page bringing back The Punisher is an important theme for Daredevil: Born Again
One of the overarching themes of Daredevil: Born Again is its evaluation of vigilantism and its dangers. It starts with Foggy Nelson’s death in the premiere by Benjamin Pointdexter a.k.a Bullseye. In the original Netflix series, Benjamin was hired by Wilson Fisk to pose as Daredevil and bring a bad name to Matt Murdock’s own persona.
However, with Fisk cracking down on vigilantism as his first issue of order as Mayor, the themes of the nature of vigilantism come into question. Matt Murdock hangs up his devil horns and suit after the death of Foggy, realizing how his actions may have given rise to vigilantes who might not have his no-killing code.
Similar themes were explored in season 2 of the original Netflix series, where Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher made his first appearance. His violent tactics and philosophy of justice were a major conflict for Matt Murdock. Now, with the death of Hector Ayala and Fisk’s anti-vigilantism stance, the return of the Punisher is inevitable.
Matt’s stance on killing might go through its biggest test in the coming episodes. Frank Castle also might not take kindly to someone using his symbol to commit violent crimes in the name of vigilantism. However, the death of Foggy may have affected Karen Page’s view of the world and she might not agree with Matt anymore, making her the perfect person to bring back The Punisher.
Daredevil: Born Again is available to stream on Disney+.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
