A set photo hints at a major MCU cameo taking place in The Punisher: One Last Kill. Jon Bernthal's upcoming Punisher special is a spotlight on the life of Frank Castle following the ending of his solo Netflix series and brief return in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1. The 2026 Punisher reboot will release within one week of the Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 finale, and the two projects may be more interconnected than previously expected.
A photo from the set of what seems to be Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 may actually secretly set up a cameo for The Punisher: One Last Kill. An image posted on Instagram by Royce Johnson, who plays Detective Sergeant Brett Mahoney in Daredevil: Born Again, shows a reunion between himself, Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), and Bernthal.
What's notable about the image is that Woll and Johnson appear to be wearing the same outfits as they do in a pivotal Daredevil: Born Again scene.
The trailer for Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 reveals a moment from the final two episodes that sees Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Mahoney, and Page at the head of a group of Daredevil supporters, likely about to go into battle.
In the scene, Karen is shown wearing a red shirt and black pants, while Mahoney is seen in the background wearing a pale overcoat and a white button-up shirt. These outfits appear to be the exact same ones that Woll and Johnson are wearing in the photo with Bernthal, suggesting they were all on set on the same day.
However, Frank Castle isn't appearing in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, which raises the question of why he was with Woll and Johnson that day. The main possibility this suggests is that Woll and Johnson were not on set for Daredevil: Born Again, but were instead with Bernthal for The Punisher: One Last Kill.
Both The Punisher: One Last Kill and Daredevil: Born Again were filmed in New York within very close timeframes. Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again wrapped on July 9, and The Punisher: One Last Kill began filming on July 17, 2025. The close filming turnaround and release proximity between the two shows make a crossover very plausible, and this photo suggests that Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 may lead directly into The Punisher: One Last Kill, with a scene set on the same day.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is already confirmed to feature several Marvel characters, but including Woll as Karen Page would easily be the most exciting. Page and Castle have a lot of shared history from their time on Netflix's The Punisher series, and seeing more scenes between the two in The Punisher: One Last Kill would be a huge incentive.
The Punisher: One Last Kill will be released on Disney+ on May 12. It will be Bernthal's first of two MCU appearances in 2026, with the actor primed to reprise his role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day in July. The special presentation is written by Reinaldo Marcus Green and Bernthal, with Green also serving as director.
What Role Could Karen Page Have in The Punisher Reboot?
While fans will have to wait until May 12 to find out whether Deborah Ann Woll and Royce Johnson really are in The Punisher: One Last Kill, there are a few reasons their inclusion makes sense.
While Bernthal isn't expected to appear in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, The Punisher: One Last Kill is expected to have close ties to the show's events, with both taking place at a similar time in New York City. If The Punisher: One Last Kill picks up directly from Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, perhaps even beginning the same day that the season finale takes place, it could use Page and Mahoney to bridge the events of both projects.
Many are also eager to see what happens next between Frank and Karen. Castle only showed up to assist Daredevil in the Born Again Season 1 finale as a favor to Karen, though they left things on uncertain terms. Karen has mentioned Punisher a few times in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, despite his absence, which has maintained a link between the two characters. Featuring Woll in The Punisher: One Last Kill could be a chance to continue the story between the duo and expand their narrative beyond Daredevil: Born Again.
