Daredevil fans are eating well at the moment. Fresh off this morning’s set pics showing a bloodied Jon Bernthal back in action as Frank Castle aka Punisher in the sequel series, Daredevil: Born Again, earlier alongside Charlie Cox‘s Matt Murdock, Bernthal has now gone on to his own Instagram to upload a photo of himself, Cox and Deborah Ann Woll (who plays Karen Page in the series) and it’s got fans going gaga with excitement.
Bernthal made his debut as Castle, an ex-Marine turned vigilante called the Punisher, in 2016 on Netflix‘s Daredevil. The upcoming series Born Again is seen as both a reboot and a continuation of that storyline. He then took the lead in The Punisher from 2017 to 2019, a part of The Defenders series, which has been officially acknowledged as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon.
Will Frank Castle and Karen Page Reconnect in ‘Born Again’?
Fans are hoping so. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically within Daredevil and The Punisher, Karen Page and Frank Castle share a complex and deeply emotional connection. Initially, Karen, a journalist and secretary working for Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), encounters Frank Castle during his trial, where he is prosecuted as the Punisher. Karen is drawn to Frank’s tragic story — his crusade against those responsible for the murder of his family — and decides to investigate further, believing there’s more to him than the public perceives.
Throughout Daredevil Season 2 and The Punisher series, Karen becomes one of the few people Frank trusts and opens up to. She serves as a moral compass and a source of empathy for Frank, seeing past his violent methods to the grieving, broken man underneath. Their relationship is platonic (for now) but deeply meaningful, marked by mutual respect and an understanding of each other’s traumas and losses. Karen acts as an advocate for Frank in the public eye and in the courtroom, striving to uncover the truth and ensure justice is served.
Their bond is one of the more poignant aspects of the series, highlighting Karen’s compassion and bravery and Frank’s capacity for trust and loyalty amidst his quest for vengeance. While not necessarily romantic, their connection underscores significant themes of redemption, understanding, and the search for justice in a world often marred by violence and corruption. It showcases how two people from very different worlds can find common ground and support each other through their darkest times.
Daredevil: Born Again is expected to premiere on Disney+ at some point in 2025. See the new image shared by Bernthal below.
via Collider