Since the 2015 Netflix series, it's become almost unthinkable to envision Charlie Cox's portrayal of Daredevil without Jon Bernthal's compelling performance as The Punisher. However, Bernthal recently shed light on why he initially declined to reprise his role in the Disney+ revival, Daredevil: Born Again.
The actor, known for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street, disclosed that his hesitation stemmed from the creative direction proposed for Frank Castle, aka 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," he shared with Entertainment Weekly. Bernthal expressed concerns that the proposed direction would not resonate with fans and would deviate from the character's established narrative. "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 significant creative changes after the strikes, the series saw a major overhaul, and producer Dario Scardapane was appointed as the new showrunner. It was at this juncture that Bernthal began to see a potential fit for Frank Castle in *Daredevil: Born Again*."They really brought me into the conversation," Bernthal said, appreciating the involvement of Scardapane, with whom he had previously collaborated on The Punisher, and Marvel. "We really got specific about where Frank is psychologically, where Frank's at physically."
Warning! Spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again follow.