Frank Castle has always been one of the darker characters in the Marvel Universe. When his family was murdered for witnessing a mafia deal gone wrong, Frank made a vow to avenge their deaths by waging a one-man war on crime. Becoming known as “The Punisher,” he rose to become one of the most feared names in the criminal underworld. But while Frank has been efficient in taking his enemies out, his methods have also been flawed, often leaving power vacuums for others to fill.
Update August 22, 2025: This article has been updated following the announcement that The Punisher writer Dario Scardapane is taking overDaredevil: Born Again, implying a greater role for Frank Castle in the series and the wider MCU.
The Punisher’s methods have brought him into conflict with the authorities as well as other vigilantes. In a world that has traditionally had clearly defined heroes and villains, Frank stood out as the complex antihero. Jon Bernthal’s incarnation of the character has been very well received, and fans will be happy to know that he will bereprising his roleinDaredevil: Born Again. As we await the Punisher’s reintroduction to theMarvel Cinematic Universe, here’s a recap on everything you need to know about the character thus far.
Made His MCU Debut in Season 2 of Daredevil
Before Marvel Television was folded into Marvel Studios,they were a separate teamworking on their corner of the MCU. The Punisher was introduced in 2016 in the second season ofDaredevil, clashing with the titular vigilante over their different methods of cleaning up Hell’s Kitchen. While Frank was eager to kill, Daredevil was not, believing that everyone deserved a shot at redemption. Frank, however, saw Daredevil as someone who was unwilling to do what was needed to get things done. They were not able to come to an agreement but nonetheless still tried to help each other, with Daredevil rescuing Frank from the Kitchen Irish and Frank helping him fight against the Hand.
Daredevil: Here’s What Makes the MCU Character So Beloved
Matthew Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil, has become one of the most beloved characters in the MCU. Here’s why.
The Punisher also crossed paths with Wilson Fisk, theDaredevil,Spider-Man, andEcho(and nowHawkeye) villain known as “the Kingpin.” Frank was used by Fisk as a pawn in a move to take over the prison in which they were being held. He was then betrayed, but Fisk corrected course and orchestrated Frank’s release when he realized that The Punisher could be of further use to him. As he left the prison, Frank promised that the next time they saw each other, only one of them would walk way. That encounter might occur inDaredevil: Born Again, but it’s unlikely that either of them will die in the season they’re reintroduced.
What The Punisher Was Up to in His Own Show
In November 2017, Netflix released the first season ofThe Punisher, following Frank as hecontinued his war on crime. The series was able to explore more of Frank’s backstory, reflecting on his time in the Marines and revealing a much larger military conspiracy. He learned that he had come too close to discovering the truth about Operation Cerberus, a military operation that terminated targets in Afghanistan. Unbeknownst to its participants, the operation was never approved by the CIA or Congress. The corrupt CIA “Agent Orange” and the two-faced drug lord Colonel Ray Schoonover sought to kill Frank but failed to do so, inadvertently causing their own deaths.
At the same time, Frank learned about his best friend Billy Russo’s involvement in Operation Cerberus, meaning that Billy was partly responsible for the murder of his family. Frank brutally scarred his former friend in retaliation, which set up Billy’s return as the vengeful “Jigsaw” in Season 2. The second season ofThe Punishersaw Frank defending the teenage Amy Bendix from a family that killed anyone who could potentially compromise their son’s political career. Frank dealt with the family threatening Bendix, killed Jigsaw, and continued to execute violent criminals as the Punisher.
The Punisher Has No Superpowers
The MCU has featured sorcerers, mutants, aliens, robots, and super-powered humans. Bernthal’s Punisher does not fit into these categories, as he has relied instead on his tactics, combat skills, and marksmanship to carry out his vigilante justice. This has positioned The Punisher as one of the very few MCU lead characters to not have any superpowers. While human characters such as Ant-Man and The Wasp, Black Widow, and even Captain America (Sam Wilson) havenot had any inherent superpowers, they have often had access to technology that has provided them with an unusual edge.
Similar to John Wick, Frank Castle has demonstrated a remarkable pain tolerance and an uncanny ability to almost instantly recover from physical injuries.The Punishershowed his taking on large numbers of foes without the enhanced senses of Daredevil, the strength of Jessica Jones, the bulletproof skin of Luke Cage, or the power of the Iron Fist.
Shrouded in Controversy
As a character, The Punisher is famous for extrajudicial methods and his sheer brutality as an antihero. He bypasses the law often and is not afraid to break it or find loopholes. So, when law enforcement co-opted him as their own symbol, it made sense when the character’s creator (Gerry Conway) was bothered by their misunderstanding of his intentions. While The Punisher is a wish-fulfillment character, he is noted as being outside the law. Institutions like the police should not aspire to be him; they need to be better than him. Society needs to be better than the individual, and Marvel Comics has had issues where Frank Castle addresses cops who co-op his logo.
The iconic skull logo has also beenused by the Conservative-aligned to show support for police officers; some groups for hateful means, like during the January 6th Capitol rush, which resulted in Marvel changing it for the time being. This change was met with criticism from both sides. It also causes one towonder which logo he will be sporting in the new MCUsince the new logo is still so fresh.
Is Disney’s Daredevil Overhaul a Good Sign?
There’s been a shakeup with a series that many people were loathe to hear about in the first place. But could this be a good sign for Daredevil fans?
The other major issue involving the Punisher is, of course, his superpower or lack thereof. To fight crime, The Punisher uses a wide array of guns, which essentially lets the Second Amendment be his superpower. This has become a much more difficult topic in conversation with the rise of mass shootings across America. It makes it a little difficult to cheer for a hero who guns people down when the reality many Americans face involving gun violence is far from heroic.
Season 1 ofThe Punisherwas initially intended to drop on Netflix in early October 2017 to coincide with New York Comic-Con but wasquickly canceled following the 2017 Las Vegas Shootingson August 21, 2025. The incident is the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in American history and resulted in the deaths of 60 people and wounding 413. Marvel canceled the release and set it to premiere on August 13, 2025. The Punisher carries a lot of real-world controversy with him.
The Punisher’s Future in Born Again
When a newDaredevilshow was announced, one of the biggest concerns was whether the same actors would portray the characters we came to know and love from the Netflix series. Rest assured, most of the characters were revealed to have the same names attached to them; prominently,Jon Bernthal will still be The Punisher, and Charlie Cox is still Daredevil. WithBorn Againcoming sooner with every passing day, the future of The Punisher comes into question.
The new Daredevil iteration has alsobeen passed off toThe Punisher’s former writer,Dario Scardapane,which shows a lot of promise in how The Punisher will be handled.Daredevil: Born Againhas undergone a massive creative overhaul as Marvel Studios was reportedly unhappy with the original material. While it is unclear exactly what this means, there is a good chance The Punisher might have an expanded role in the new series.
Is The Punisher MCU Canon
One of the biggest questions regarding Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is if his appearance onDaredevilseason 2 and in his own series are canon to the MCU. While the Netflix series makes reference to the MCU movies, the movies don’t acknowledge the series. The only series the MCU movies acknowledged wasAgent Carter, which aired on ABC. Even with Charlie Cox reprising his role as Daredevil inSpider-Man: No Way HomeandShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, it is unclear how much of the Netflix series are canon.
The recently released book,The Marvel Cinematic Universe: The Official Timeline, might offer a clue. The book makes no mention of any of the Netflix series or even other pre-Disney+ series likeThe Runaways,Cloak and Dagger, orAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.as part of the MCU’s Sacred Timeline.The Forward by Kevin Feige does hint at something interesting. He said:
“On the Multiverse note, we recognize that there are stories-movies and series-that are canonical to Marvel but were created by different storytellers during different periods of Marvel’s history. The timeline resented in this book is specific to the MCU’s Sacred Timeline through Phase 4. But as we move forward and dive deeper into the Multiverse Saga, you never know when timelines may crash and converge (hint, hint/ spoiler alert).”
This suggests that when The Punisher does appear in the MCU, he might share some traits and history with the character from the Netflix series. Yet any difference will be explained with the Netflix series being a branch on the Sacred Timeline.
