Did Jon Bernthal refuse to be a part of Daredevil: Born Again initially? 

Since Daredevil: Born Again was announced by Marvel Studios, one name began to echo loudly among fans, carrying both promise and a certain kind of warning, that name was Frank Castle, the Punisher. A dense, violent, emotionally devastated character, portrayed with raw intensity by Jon Bernthal in Netflix’s The Punisher.

His version of Castle wasn’t just convincing, it was visceral, as if every scene were fueled by a real, familiar, almost tangible pain. When the official confirmation of his return to the franchise was released, the public’s reaction was pure euphoria, as if something essential was being restored to the dark heart of the MCU.

As reported by Screenrant, what few people knew, until recently, was that Bernthal almost said no to the role, in a gesture that reveals more than mere hesitation: it exposes the symbolic and emotional weight the character carries, both for the audience and for the actor himself.

Disclaimer: This article offers a critical and interpretative look at Daredevil: Born Again, with a special focus on Jon Bernthal’s return as the Punisher. It blends factual reporting with personal analysis, drawing from interviews, comics, and cultural commentary. This is not official MCU material, nor does it reflect the views of Marvel Studios. All opinions are the author’s, and they come fully loaded, just like Frank Castle.

The resurrection of a fragmented icon

Frank Castle has always been a complicate character. Since his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 in 1974, he has challenged the boundaries of traditional heroism. Created by Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr., and Ross Andru, the Punisher emerged as an antithesis of the superhero: someone who didn’t arrest, but instead, killed. A man driven by trauma, unbound by moral codes or institutions. The skull on his chest was both, a symbol and a scar.

In the Netflix version, which aired from 2017 to 2019, Bernthal gave shape to that trauma with visceral intensity. His Frank Castle wasn’t just a glorified vigilante, but a man consumed by pain, using violence as a release valve. It was an unfiltered performance, almost documentary-like, refusing glamorization. Castle wasn’t just dangerous, he was too human to be ignored, but too damaged to be saved.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bernthal revealed that it was precisely this emotional depth, this plunge into the character’s darkness, that made him hesitate when invited back:

“The Punisher can’t be softened. He lives in pain. If you take that away, you take away who he is. And if you take away who he is, there’s nothing left for me to play.”

The Disney+ era and the fear of “sanitization”

When the rights to the Marvel characters previously housed in the Netflix universe, like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Daredevil, and the Punisher, officially returned to Marvel Studios, fan reaction was mixed. There was excitement, of course, but also concern. The lighter, more polished style of Disney+ productions seemed at odds with characters like Frank Castle, whose brutal, dark nature doesn’t fit into PG-13 ratings or plots softened by humor.

Jon Bernthal shared that concern. He didn’t want to return to play a watered-down version of the Punisher. And he wasn’t alone: Charlie Cox, the original Matt Murdock, also expressed apprehension about the lighter tone initially proposed for Daredevil: Born Again.

Not coincidentally, the series underwent a complete overhaul in 2023. Marvel dismissed the original writers, shifted creative direction, and rebuilt the show’s narrative concept. Only with these guarantees in place, ensuring a tone more faithful to the original, did Bernthal agree to join the project.

Between Bernthal’s Frank Castle and the comic book version

Frank Castle has always been a controversial figure, both inside and outside the fictional universe. In the comics, he occupied an uncomfortable space: someone who eliminates criminals with extreme violence, answering to no one. Over the decades, the Punisher has been co-opted by real-world ideologies, from police forces to militias, who adopted his symbol as an ideological banner, completely distorting the character’s original meaning.

Marvel, aware of the problem, even changed the skull logo in the comics (Punisher Vol. 13, 2022). But it was Jon Bernthal’s performance that offered the most meaningful response. In interviews, he has always made it clear: Frank Castle is not a role model. His violence isn’t heroic, it’s a direct result of deep trauma, of pain that has no other outlet. Bernthal’s Punisher doesn’t ask for applause, he asks for understanding.

Critics acknowledged this. Bernthal’s performance was compared to iconic portrayals of wounded masculinity, like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver or William Munny in Unforgiven. And it’s precisely that tortured humanity, that discomfort, that he insisted on preserving.

The legacy of The Punisher and the bridge to Daredevil: Born Again

The second season of The Punisher highlighted a rarely explored aspect: Castle’s emotional reluctance. His relationship with Amy, a teenage girl in danger, revealed a protective, almost paternal side. He wasn’t seeking redemption, but perhaps, unconsciously, a chance to protect someone, since he had failed to save his own family. Daredevil: Born Again promises to revisit, and deepen, that moral dilemma.

The early episodes of the new series portray a Punisher who’s even quieter, more lethal, and introspective as compared to the comics. In At Hollow His Hand, one of the most symbolically charged chapters, Castle is confronted by an extremist group trying to co-opt his symbol. The narrative touches on contemporary themes such as fanaticism, image appropriation, and the fragility of cultural icons. Far from softening the character, this approach places Frank Castle at the center of a conflict that transcends spilled blood, he’s now grappling with what he represents to the world around him.

Daredevil and the Punisher: A perpetual clash

The conflict between Matt Murdock and Frank Castle is one of the richest and oldest in the Marvel universe. Murdock, a Catholic lawyer who believes in justice and human redemption, stands in stark contrast to Castle’s fatalistic worldview, where justice is a necessary and final act. One believes in the law; the other believes in punishment. And it’s in that ideological clash that Daredevil: Born Again finds its narrative backbone.

Now, with both characters more mature, and with Bernthal back, demanding depth, this tension gains more layers. A simplified Punisher wouldn’t be able to sustain this philosophical and emotional duel. The series seems to know that. And perhaps that’s why it worked so hard to ensure Castle returned with his full complexity intact.

Between rejection and rebirth: What’s at stake

Bernthal’s initial refusal says a lot about the current state of the entertainment industry. In an era of reboots and refined versions of iconic characters, it’s common to see legacies treated as mere recycled products. But Frank Castle’s story can’t be handled that way. And Daredevil: Born Again, by all indications, doesn’t just want to revive the Punisher, it wants to reframe him.

More than returning to the Marvel universe, Bernthal brought a demand with him: that the narrative be worthy of the weight Castle carries. That demand, that hesitation, may be what saved the new series from falling into the trap of opportunistic reboots. Bernthal’s "No" served as a reminder, to studios, audiences, and critics, that not everything can be turned into content without consequences.

Conclusion: When the actor becomes the character’s guardian

Jon Bernthal went beyond the role of actor. In essence, he became the emotional and ethical guardian of Frank Castle. By almost turning down Daredevil: Born Again, he reminded us that characters like these are not disposable. They are human constructs, fragile, contradictory, and must be treated with the same care they are portrayed with.

And that’s why, perhaps, Daredevil: Born Again couldn’t exist without him. Not as it should. Because only someone who truly understood Frank Castle, someone willing to say no, could bring him back with the truth he demands.