Jon Bernthal Explains Near Exit from Daredevil: Born Again

Since the acclaimed 2015 Netflix series, envisioning Charlie Cox's Daredevil without Jon Bernthal's Punisher has become nearly impossible. However, Bernthal recently disclosed his initial reluctance to join the Disney+ revival, Daredevil: Born Again.

Known for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street, Bernthal shared his reservations about the creative direction proposed for his character, Frank Castle, also known as The Punisher. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he stated, "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. 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 a significant creative overhaul after the strikes, the series saw the appointment of Dario Scardapane as the new showrunner. This change marked a turning point for Bernthal, who had previously collaborated with Scardapane on The Punisher series. Bernthal explained, "They really brought me into the conversation. We really got specific about where Frank is psychologically, where Frank's at physically."

***Warning!** Spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again follow.