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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Daredevil episode 4After nine years, Matt Murdock’s Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and Frank Castle’s Punisher (Jon Bernthal) finally unite in the MCU. However, that doesn’t mean that the New York vigilantes are on any better terms than when they last saw each other. Sure enough, many of the tensions they had in the original Daredevil Netflix series are still present in Daredevil: Born Again, so much so that The Punisher outright refuses to help Daredevil, rejecting the Man Without Fear and what he’s trying to accomplish.
As seen near Daredevil: Born Again episode 4’s ending, Matt Murdock’s investigation into the murder of Hector Ayala aka White Tiger reunites him with Frank Castle’s Punisher, a far more brutal and lethal New York vigilante whom Matt once represented in Daredevil season 2. While Murdock requests Castle’s help getting to the bottom of the murder, Frank is less than interested. Here’s why The Punisher refuses to work with Daredevil, as well as why this won’t be the last we see of Frank Castle in this new MCU series.
Why Punisher Returns In Daredevil: Born Again
White Tiger’s Murder And The Return of The Punisher’s Logo
After Hector Ayala’s innocence was proven thanks to the efforts of Matt Murdock, the New York vigilante went out that night as The White Tiger, even though Murdock outed his secret identity in court to sway the jury. As a result, a figure wearing The Punisher’s iconic skull logo was waiting for White Tiger, shooting him in the head at the end of Daredevil: Born Again episode 3. Now, Murdock investigates the crime scene in this new episode, locating the missing shell casing which also sports the Punisher’s skull logo.
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Determined to find answers, Murdock meets with Punisher who’s confirmed to be operating in New York, asking him what he knows about the shell casing. Sharing his distaste for “bulls*** fanboys“, Frank essentially confirms that Hector’s murder is connected to the cops who’ve been seen with his Punisher skull logo tattooed on their arms and necks. Mirroring their past conversations in the original Netflix series, Murdock inquires if Frank would want to be of service and help him, only for The Punisher to vehemently refuse: “I do not have time for your candy-a** hero s***!“
Punisher & Daredevil’s Conflict Explains Born Again’s Entire Plot
Do We Embrace or Resist Our Darkness? Can It Truly Be Used For Good?
Despite Frank’s refusal to help, Daredevil and The Punisher’s critical difference in ideology brutally continues in Daredevil: Born Again episode 4. Frank challenges Matt about what happened to Foggy Nelson in Daredevil: Born Again’s premiere and the fact that Matt not only let Bullseye live but was then motivated to hang up his suit and mask to let the system take care of justice. Frank has never agreed with Matt’s “half-measures in a Halloween costume” when, in his mind, a bullet in the head ensures a truer and more permanent justice than Matt will ever be able to achieve as Daredevil.
The way The Punisher operates, there’s no room for second chances, mercy, or redemption, everything Matt used to justify embracing his darkness when he was still going out at night as Daredevil. Throughout the entire series thus far, Matt has been torn between his “darker half” as Kingpin calls it, and his attempts to deliver justice the “right” way (lawfully as an attorney). However, this conversation with Frank underpins all of that conflict.
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While Frank and Matt don’t immediately end up working together, it does help set the stage for Murdock’s revelation that he needs to embrace his vigilante side once more. After all, the end of the episode does end with Murdock unlocking his secret room where he stores his suits and billy clubs. It’s likely only a matter of time before The Punisher’s words get to Matt, and Daredevil returns with a vengeance after being repressed for so long.
Punisher’s Return Is Inevitable
He’ll Have To Get Involved Sooner Rather Than Later
Despite Frank’s refusal to help Matt, this certainly won’t be the last we see of The Punisher. The ongoing police storyline means Frank won’t be out of the picture entirely – and it’s clear that Matt will likely come to realize his harder line is probably necessary. Additionally, Frank now knows about the bullet with the skull logo which has more than likely planted something in his head about these “fanboys” misusing his image. Furthermore, there’s no way Marvel is going to bring back Castle without showing The Punisher suiting up again, not to mention the upcoming Punisher MCU special in the works.
New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are released Tuesday nights on Disney+.
Daredevil: Born Again
9/10
- Release Date
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March 4, 2025
- Showrunner
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Chris Ord
- Directors
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Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
- Writers
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Chris Ord
