Since the 2015 Netflix series, it's become nearly impossible to envision Charlie Cox's Daredevil without Jon Bernthal's Punisher. However, Bernthal recently shared insights into why he initially opted out of the Disney+ revival, Daredevil: Born Again.
The actor, known for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street, expressed his reservations about the creative direction planned for his character, Frank Castle, also known as The Punisher. "Ultimately, I didn't see it. I didn't see the version of Frank, and what they wanted from Frank [didn't] really make sense to me,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “I thought [it] would not appeal to the fans and wouldn't be congruent. It was not something I was really interested in doing. So we had to walk away."
Following significant creative changes post-strikes, the series welcomed producer Dario Scardapane as the new showrunner. This shift marked a turning point for Bernthal, as he began to see a fitting role for Frank in *Born Again*."They really brought me into the conversation," Bernthal explained, highlighting his previous collaboration with Scardapane on The Punisher series and his discussions with Marvel. "We really got specific about where Frank is psychologically, where Frank's at physically."
Warning! Spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again follow.
