Warning: This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episode 9.
After an explosive finale that set the stage for a street-level war between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, theDaredevil: Born Againpost-credits scene works to set up not only season 2, but another upcomingMCUproject. At the start ofDaredevil: Born Againepisode 9, Matt is vulnerable after taking a bullet for Mayor Fisk, but escapes a murder attempt from Fisk’s right-hand man, Buck Cashman. At his apartment, Matt reunites with Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, who helps him escape the Anti-Vigilante Task Force.
Eventually, the two part ways, with Frank leaving Matt and Karen Page to investigate the case Foggy Nelson was working on when he was killed by Bullseye - a hit ordered by Fisk’s wife Vanessa. While Matt is discovering whyVanessa had Foggy killedand how it ties to the mayor’s Red Hook revitalization project, Frank confronts the dirty cops on the AVTF, taking down a good number of them before he’s eventually subdued.
TheDaredevil: Born Againseason 1 finale endswith Kingpin having complete control of New York City, establishing martial law, officially banning vigilantes, and putting into place an 8pm curfew. Meanwhile, Daredevil is assembling an army of his own to take on Fisk’s task force, one that includes Karen Page, Angie Kim and Cherry, among others. Although the Punisher and Jack Duquesne, aka Swordsman, might seem like ideal candidates for Daredevil’s army, one of the final scenes shows them locked up in cages in Fisk’s dungeon, along with other folks who refused to ally themselves with Kingpin.
However, it’s not the last time we see the Punisher, since he reappears during theDaredevil: Born Againpost-credits scene.
Daredevil: Born Again’s Credits Scene Is Setting Up The Punisher Spinoff
Jon Bernthal Will Return As Frank Castle In A Special Presentation
Instead of focusing on Daredevil, Kingpin or Bullseye, theDaredevil: Born Againpost-credits scene revisits the Punisher, who’s locked in a cage in Kingpin’s dungeon. There, Frank turns on his charm and makes friendly conversation with one of the guards, a man named Anthony Petruccio (who has no connection to Marvel Comics). Frank lures the guard close to the cage to shake his hand, then violently breaks Petruccio’s hand and arm. The screen cuts to black, buta sound can be heard like the cage being unlocked, implying that Frank uses the guard to free himself.
Since the scene ends before we even see the Punisher actually escape, it’s impossible to know exactly what he does after. Does he free the other people in cages? If he does, that could potentially set up Swordsman to return in the MCU - maybe even in a possibleHawkeyeseason 2, though that hasn’t been confirmed by Marvel. Or, since Frank Castle has often been a character more focused on his own mission, does he leave the others and escape Kingpin’s dungeon on his own? That seems the more likely scenario, given the character’s history, and it sets up his own spinoff.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Marvel Studios is developingThe PunisherSpecial Presentation, with Frank Castle actor Jon Bernthal writing the script alongside Reinaldo Marcus Green, who will serve as director. Later reports confirmed the special will air in 2026, alongside the second season ofDaredevil: Born Again. Little else is known aboutThe Punisherspinoff, since story details have been kept under wraps, butit’s likely to follow what Frank does after escaping Kingpin’s dungeonin theDaredevil: Born Againpost-credits scene.
Will The Punisher Return In Daredevil: Born Again Season 2?
Jon Bernthal’s Return Hasn’t Yet Been Confirmed
SinceDaredevil is assembling an armyto take on Kingpin and his task force, it would certainly make sense for the Punisher to return; after all, Frank Castle is a one-man army in his own right. It also makes sense because Frank and Matt seem to be on much better terms inDaredevil: Born Againthan they were when they first met inDaredevilseason 2, when Matt vowed to never stop hunting Frank so long as he kept killing bad people.Their diametric stances on killing have always been what separated Daredevil and the Punisher, and that might continue to hinder their alliance.
Of course, it might also be that the Punisher works to take down Kingpin and the AVTF in his own way, and that’s what his spinoff is about. It would be smart for Marvel to tell the story of Kingpin’s anti-vigilante war across multiple MCU TV shows, especially since a handful of them are set in New York City or nearby. Ms. Marvel is right across the river in Jersey City, while Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye is in NYC, so second seasons of those shows could further explore this storyline - that is, of course, if they were to happen.
Currently,The Punisherspinoff is the only one confirmed beyondBorn Againseason 2.
As it stands,it’s unclear whether the Punisher will return inDaredevil: Born Againseason 2. Jon Bernthal hasn’t been spotted in any set photos since production began in New York City, but filming is still ongoing. It might be the case thatThe Punisherspinoff tells Frank’s story during the same time period ofBorn Againseason 2, and then sets him up to return in the finale.
Without more details about eitherBorn Againseason 2 orThe Punisherspinoff, it’s difficult to tell when or how their stories might line up. But after their exhilarating fight against the AVTF in the season 1 finale, it would no doubt be great to see the Punisher and Daredevil team up again.
Daredevil Will Return In Born Again Season 2, But When Will It Release?
Daredevil: Born Again Is Following A Normal Streaming TV Schedule
After theDaredevil: Born Againcredits scene, there’s also a text screen that reads:“Daredevil will return in season 2.“AlthoughDaredevil: Born Againseason 2 was already confirmed by Marvel - and by the fact that filming has started - this is further confirmation of Daredevil’s next appearance. Of course, that also seemingly means Daredevil will be sitting outAvengers: Doomsday, since the MCU movie is also filming right now, but hopefully Charlie Cox will get to reprise his character inAvengers: Secret Wars.
In terms of whenDaredevil: Born Againseason 2 will release, Marvel Studios' Head of Streaming, Brad Winderbaum, confirmed it will premiere in 2026. This was additionally confirmed by the reports thatThe Punisherspinoff will air alongside it in 2026, but whether both will release at the same time remains to be seen. It’s also unclear ifDaredevil: Born Againseason 2 will premiere in March 2026, exactly a year after season 1, or if it will debut earlier or later to avoid conflicting withAvengers: Doomsday’sMay release.
For now, there’s still quite a lot we don’t know about eitherDaredevil: Born Againseason 2 orThe Punisherspinoff. But, we do know Daredevil will return in season 2, that Frank Castle has escaped from Kingpin’s dungeon, and Jon Bernthal will be starring inThe Punisherspinoff. More details about both these upcoming MCU Disney+ projects will no doubt be revealed in the coming months.
