Rumored Daredevil Plot Details May Explain Punisher's MCU Return

Rumors and leaks about the long-awaited Disney+ series "Daredevil: Born Again" keep on coming, and now we they have provided some clarity on what role the Punisher will serve in the new Marvel series.

It was previously reported that, alongside Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Jon Bernthal will return as the Punisher, reprising his brutal role as vigilante Frank Castle from Netflix's "Daredevil" and "The Punisher." While many fans were thrilled, there were obvious questions raised about how both characters would fit into the existing Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to a new rumor, some Punisher-related antics might be what prompt Matt to suit up again.

Prolific Marvel leaker @CanWeGetSomeToast revealed on X (formerly known as Twitter) that there will be episodes of "Born Again" where Matt Murdock is the focus over his Daredevil persona. However, events surrounding the return of the Punisher will force him to put the horns back on. "Yes, #DaredevilBornAgain puts a focus on what Matt can do as a lawyer and what Kingpin can do as Mayor of New York," they wrote. "But when corrupt police start to misuse #ThePunisher's logo, the Devil inside Matt is itching to be unleashed." It's a compelling idea, but when it comes to "Daredevil: Born Again," rumors and leaks should be taken with an extra grain of salt.

The Punisher storyline hinted at by the Marvel leaker seems to be drawn from both real life and comics. The vigilante's logo has indeed been misused by police in real life, who apparently think it sends a good message to citizens when they plaster the skull logo of a rogue killer on their uniforms, as CBS Chicago reported one Chicago officer did while pointing weapons at teenagers. Moreover, Vulture notes that the character of Frank Castle has come to be embraced by soldiers and law enforcement in general. It makes sense that Daredevil, whose whole deal is equal justice under the law, would push back against both the Punisher and those in law enforcement who lionize him. The issue was also brought up in "The Punisher" #13 (by Matthew Rosenberg, Szymon Kudranski, Atonio Fabela, and Cory Petit), where Frank Castle admonishes cops who say they support him.

However, it's unclear whether the storyline involving police misuse of the Punisher logo will actually end up in the show, as the scripts and direction for "Daredevil: Born Again" have been soft rebooted, according to reporting fromearly October.  That report, which stated that Kevin Feige and other Marvel executives had reviewed the existing footage shot before the SAG-AFTRA actors strike and decided to rehaul the series, noted that Daredevil didn't show up in costume until the fourth episode. In other words, that scrapped version seems like the one described by the Marvel leaker, who noted in their X posts, "There will be some episodes of #DaredevilBornAgain where Matt does NOT suit up as Daredevil, at all." If the leaker's information is out of date, it throws into question whether the Punisher's story arc has also been retooled.