Since the 2015 Netflix series, it’s nearly impossible to imagine Charlie Cox’s Daredevil without Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. However, Bernthal recently disclosed why he initially declined to be part of the Disney+ revival, Daredevil: Born Again.
The actor, known for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street, shared that his hesitation stemmed from the initial creative direction proposed 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,” Bernthal 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 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. "They really brought me into the conversation," Bernthal explained, highlighting the discussions he had with Scardapane and Marvel about Frank's psychological and physical state in *Daredevil: Born Again*.Warning! Spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again follow.
