Since the 2015 Netflix series, it's hard to picture Charlie Cox's Daredevil without Jon Bernthal's portrayal of The Punisher. However, Bernthal recently shared insights into why he initially opted out of the Disney+ revival, Daredevil: Born Again.
Known for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street, Bernthal expressed his reservations about the initial creative direction for Frank Castle, The Punisher, in the new series. "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 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 welcomed Dario Scardapane as the new showrunner. This shift in direction sparked a renewed interest from Bernthal, who had previously collaborated with Scardapane on The Punisher series. "They really brought me into the conversation," Bernthal explained, highlighting the detailed discussions about Frank Castle's psychological and physical state in Born Again.
Warning! Spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again follow.
