Despite its shaky debut, Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 ended with a bang and the promise of more to come. Another season is already in the works, so fans won’t have to wait long for a rematch between the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen (Charlie Cox) and Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Frank Castle, aka the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), will also return: the ruthless anti-hero is set to headline his own Disney+ special, one that could bridge the gap between Born Again Seasons 1 and 2.
This project was announced before the Born Again premiere, leaving fans to wonder where it would fall on the Marvel timeline. Now that we’ve seen the Punisher in action again, it’s not hard to guess where his special will pick up. The Born Again Season 1 finale brings Frank back into the fray to stop Fisk and his army of corrupt cops, and though he and Daredevil face plenty of opposition, a sneaky post-credits scene tells us the fight is far from over.
Spoilers ahead for Daredevil: Born Again Episode 9.
Daredevil’s post-credits scene, explained
Born Again’s season finale starts on a high note. When Fisk locks down the city, cutting off power and closing Manhattan to the outside world, Matt reunites with Frank and even Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll). With the Punisher’s help, Matt’s able to fend off the anti-vigilante task force at his door, but Frank isn’t all that interested in continued teamwork. Matt eventually goes off with Karen in search of the one thing that could take Fisk down, while Frank launches a gutsy attack against the cops who’ve appropriated the Punisher ethos.
Frank is a capable assassin, but he’s still just one man fighting an army. He’s captured and confronted by Officer Powell (Hamish Allan-Headley), who tries and fails to get Frank on board with their twisted brand of justice. The next time we see the Punisher, he’s locked in a cage at Fisk’s headquarters, along with anyone else who had the guts to stand against him.
Of course, our favorite vigilante isn’t long for imprisonment. After the credits roll, Born Again checks back in with Frank. He lures the guard watching him into a casual conversation, and once he gets close enough to strike, he launches the first phase of what could be a daring escape.
Plot details for the Punisher special are still under wraps, but it would make sense to focus on Frank’s escape from the Fisk compound. Bernthal has teased a more ruthless version of the Punisher standing in defiance of Marvel’s tamer instincts, so we can expect plenty of bloodshed. And with Frank’s track record, we already know how violent his prison escapes can be.
“The story that we’ve laid out is, I think, really special,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s the visceral, psychologically complex, unforgiving, no-holds-barred version of Frank where he’s going to turn his back to the audience. And nothing is easy and all violence has a cost, and we’re going to see that cost.”
Bernthal co-wrote the upcoming special with director Reinaldo Marcus Green, so he knows all about the upcoming dive into Frank’s psyche. Whatever happens will likely set up Born Again Season 2, but it should also provide new insight into one of Marvel’s most tortured souls.
