Jon Bernthal on Nearly Declining Role in Daredevil: Born Again

Since its debut on Netflix in 2015, Charlie Cox's portrayal of Daredevil has been indelibly linked with Jon Bernthal's gritty interpretation of The Punisher. However, Bernthal recently disclosed why he initially passed on appearing in Disney+'s highly anticipated revival, Daredevil: Born Again.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor revealed that when first approached about joining the series, he wasn't convinced by the creative vision for Frank Castle, better known as The Punisher. "Ultimately, I didn't see it," Bernthal admitted. "I didn't see the version of Frank, and what they wanted from Frank didn't really make sense to me. 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 reshuffle amid industry strikes, producer Dario Scardapane stepped in as the series' new showrunner. This change reignited Bernthal's enthusiasm for the role. "They really brought me into the conversation," Bernthal noted, referencing his prior collaborations with Scardapane during The Punisher and Marvel. "We really got specific about where Frank is psychologically, where Frank's at physically."

Warning! Spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again ahead.