The Punisher's post-credits twist in the Daredevil: Born Again post-credits scene is now confirmed to go down one specific path in the MCU's future.
Daredevil: Born Again's first season concluded with plenty of drama, including the entire city of New York being put under martial law thanks to Vincent D'Onofrio's Mayor Wilson Fisk. Combine that with his renewed fervor for hunting down vigilantes, and fans have a recipe for serious trouble moving forward.
Included in that narrative was Jon Bernthal's Punisher, who made appearances in two of the nine episodes in Born Again Season 1. This marked his first appearance in the role since 2019, but it appears that he is far from done unleashing his violent brand of justice on the MCU.
Punisher's Post-Credits Tease Sets Up Story Post-Daredevil: Born Again
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane touched on what to expect from Jon Bernthal's Punisher after his unexpected appearance and escape attempt in Episode 9's post-credits scene.
While discussing Born Again Season 2, Scardapane confirmed the post-credit sequence "lays right into what the Punisher special is going to be:"
"I don't know. I mean, I think that a lot of what would be fair to assume for an audience member is that post-credit sequence lays right into what the Punisher special is going to be."
He was later asked if the post-credits scene was shot as a direct response to Bernthal's Punisher special, which was confirmed for development during Born Again's press tour.
Scardapone confirmed it was "part of a larger Marvel idea" and that the scene was meant to tease Frank not being "locked up for long." That plot detail "came pretty late in the process," but it was a major part of teasing where both he and Daredevil are going moving forward:
"No, it was part of a larger Marvel idea with regards to Jon, the Punisher, and keeping him in the world. He gets taken by the task force, and we didn't want to just have him sit on that island. We needed to give you an idea that Frank is not going to stay locked up for long. It came pretty late in the process, but it became very clear very quickly that this was the thing to do both in terms of telling the story of Daredevil and what's going to come next for Frank and the Punisher."
What to Expect From Punisher Special Post-Daredevil: Born Again
Following the end of Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, the post-credits scene set up Jon Bernthal's Punisher to embrace a theme he knows and loves: vengeance.
After being taken hostage by Wilson Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Task Force, he tricked a guard into giving him a hand before severely injuring him and making his escape from his cell. Now, he is sure to have his eyes set on not only Fisk but the entire Task Force, with vigilantes across New York being targeted hard.
This should be the core story of Bernthal's upcoming Punisher special, which will come before Frank Castle comes back for another round of brutality in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.
Bernthal is also said to be a major contributor to the story for his Punisher special, with Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum noting that the character is "very personal to Jon." Having that kind of involvement from the special's star should only help ensure the quality and excitement fans expect from the antihero.
For the time being, there is no information on when the Punisher special will be filmed or released. Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 has been confirmed for a March 2026 release on Disney+.
