The Punisher is absent in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, raising questions about his current MCU status. The cast of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 is a lot bigger than it was the first time around, with new actors like Matthew Lillard and Krysten Ritter joining proceedings. However, one notable absentee is Jon Bernthal as The Punisher.

Although the reviews for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 have been highly positive, one big disappointment is the lack of the morally grey antihero, Frank Castle. This is especially true after Daredevil: Born Again season 1’s ending, in which the titular hero and The Punisher teamed up against Wilson Fisk/Kingpin and his anti-vigilante task force.

Despite that, The Punisher has been confirmed not to appear in Daredevil: Born Again season 2. Naturally, this raises questions about why, linking to the character’s MCU status. Thankfully, an upcoming Marvel movie and other, wider franchise elements hold the answers.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 3 Teases Where The Punisher Is

Firstly, it is worth exploring the in-universe explanation for Frank Castle’s absence in Daredevil: Born Again season 2. In episode 3, Matt and Karen are shown discussing the broader goings-on of their battle against Fisk. During this conversation, The Punisher is brought up.

It is here that it is mentioned that Frank is still out there in New York, doing his Punisher thing and delivering his own specific brand of justice to those he deems deserving of it. This likely extends to the anti-vigilante task force, even if Frank is not directly aiding Matt and Karen in their resistance to Fisk.

This tease, as well as a few other MCU elements, indicate exactly where Punisher is and where this story will be told, if not in Daredevil: Born Again season 2.

The Punisher: One Last Kill Will Tell Frank Castle’s Next Story

Giovanni Rufino/©Disney+/Marvel Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

After Daredevil: Born Again season 1, it was confirmed that The Punisher would have a Disney+ special to continue his story. During production on the former, Bernthal began to formulate a new story for Frank Castle that he felt was worth telling. Evidently, those at Marvel Studios agreed, leading the actor to team up with director Reinaldo Marcus Green.

Green and Bernthal then drafted this story together, culminating in The Punisher: One Last Kill. This Disney+ special is expected to be around an hour long and will release on May 12, a week after Daredevil: Born Again season 2’s finale. Here, the next chapter of Frank Castle’s story will be told.

The official synopsis for the special is as follows: “Frank Castle tries to live a life without the need for revenge, only to be drawn into an unexpected conflict.” What exactly this conflict is remains to be seen, but the special will evidently focus on the constant inner battle Frank has between doing what is morally right and doing what he thinks is necessary.

Although Daredevil: Born Again season 2 does not explain exactly where Frank is, its unofficial ninth episode will do exactly that.

Jon Bernthal Was Too Busy For Daredevil: Born Again Season 2

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 and The Punisher: One Last Kill will explore exactly where Frank Castle is in-universe, leaving only the real-world explanation for why Bernthal was not available for the former. The simple answer is that the actor was too busy to be part of the show’s production.

Born Again season 2 was filmed between February and July 2025, during which Bernthal was busy shooting Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The production for the latter was predominantly in Europe, with countries like Morocco, Scotland, Italy, Iceland, and, of course, Greece being used. This meant that Bernthal could not be part of Born Again season 2, even if he wanted to be.

After this, Bernthal went straight into the productions of The Punisher: One Last Kill and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which were filmed back-to-back. Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s trailer featured Bernthal as The Punisher, somewhat easing the disappointment over his Born Again season 2 absence.

After all, if Bernthal was going to be too busy for Born Again season 2, at least it was for several highly exciting projects. The Odyssey is one of the most anticipated films of 2026, as is Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Moreover, seeing the worlds of Daredevil and Spider-Man overlap after years of desiring exactly that is a treat for fans.

The Punisher: One Last Kill is just icing on top of the cake. Clearly, despite the initial disappointment over The Punisher’s lack of a role in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, Frank Castle’s MCU status will lead to an overly exciting future.

Release Date

March 4, 2025

Network

Disney+

Showrunner

Dario Scardapane

Directors

Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, David Boyd, Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Writers

Jesse Wigutow, Jill Blankenship, Thomas Wong, David Feige, Grainne Godfree