‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Finally Brings Back Punisher in Tense Showdown: He’s a ‘Bull in a China Shop’ but ‘Very Nuanced’

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HEADS UP, FELLOW MOVIE BUFFS!: Here’s a rundown of what went down in Episode 4 of “Daredevil: Born Again,” now available to stream on Disney+. (Be warned, there are some major spoilers ahead!)

Jon Bernthal‘s Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, is finally back in the MCU.

In the newest installment of “Daredevil: Born Again,” Matt Murdock, portrayed by Charlie Cox, encounters an old friend and a violent avenger. His mission is to track down the person responsible for White Tiger’s (Kamar de los Reyes) demise.

As I watched last week’s gripping episode unfold, it was heart-wrenching to see White Tiger, Hector Ayala, acquitted in his trial against the NYPD only to be gunned down on the streets by an unidentified assassin. Now, my determination is set on finding this ruthless killer, and at first, I suspected the corrupt cop Powell (played by Hamish Allan-Headley) was the one pulling the trigger. I confronted him in the courthouse, grilling him for answers, but as I honed in with my extraordinary senses, I detected a steady heartbeat that revealed his innocence. The trail has gone cold once more.

Returning to the crime scene, Matt finds himself on the trail of the murderer once more. As he takes in his surroundings, it becomes apparent that the street has an incline and the bullet casing has rolled into a grate. Upon sniffing the casing, Matt’s pursuit leads him to the Punisher, who is hiding out in a concealed lair.

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Matt heads back to the murder scene on the hunt for the culprit. He notices that his environment slopes slightly and sees the bullet casing lodged within a grate. After giving the casing a whiff, his investigation leads him to the Punisher’s covert hideaway.

The meeting between these former allies-turned-opposites, the vigilantes, is nothing if not intense. Frank, upon finding Matt breaking into his hideout, attacks him straight away and starts grilling him. As they converse, Matt suggests that Frank could make a difference by abandoning his self-victimized mindset (a concept “Punisher” enthusiasts might recall as Frank’s family was brutally slain, leading him to seek vengeance ever since). However, calling him a “victim” infuriates Frank, who feels Matt doesn’t understand the depth of his grief over Foggy’s (Elden Henson) death. Frank lashes out at Matt, who struggles to mention Foggy’s name, and accuses it as unfair that Foggy is gone while their shared enemy Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) remains alive in prison. This sets Matt off, causing him to strike Frank before immediately apologizing. Eventually, they make up and part ways, with Frank confessing that he continues to hear his family’s voices in his head and telling Matt that Bullseye deserves to be executed.

Executive producers, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, have commended Jon Bernthal’s acting skills in the upcoming series “Daredevil: Born Again”. They also gave a particular recognition to a poignant scene starring Bernthal in Netflix’s “The Punisher”, where his character Frank paid a heart-wrenching visit to his wife’s grave.

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In “Daredevil: Born Again”, executive producers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have highly appreciated Jon Bernthal’s acting prowess. They also singled out a touching scene from Netflix’s “The Punisher” where Frank, played by Bernthal, visited his wife’s grave with great emotion.

Benson remarked, “The peak of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ and its exceptional three seasons on Netflix are incredibly human and heart-wrenching. One particularly poignant moment is Frank Castle’s monologue at the graveyard gravestone. This is what I refer to when people say he’s like a bull in a china shop. However, it’s important to note that Jon Bernthal’s performance in this series is truly exceptional and unique.

“And very nuanced. Much more nuanced than that,” Moorhead added.

Could it be that Muse, the enigmatic serial killer with connections to the emerging street art in New York City, is responsible for White Tiger’s death? After all, there was a White Tiger painting at the club’s exterior at the start of the episode. Another possibility is that Mayor Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin, orchestrated the hit. In this episode, we see them both in couple’s therapy, discussing their intricate relationship and carefully avoiding any mention of their criminal activities. Vanessa, Wilson Fisk’s wife, confides about her affair with a man named Adam, but neither reveals the fate of their mysterious lover – until the end of the episode. In an unexpected twist, we discover that Adam is being held captive in a hidden basement by Kingpin, hinting that despite his new role as New York’s mayor, Fisk is still deeply involved in criminal activities.

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2025-03-19 05:21