The 2026 Punisher reboot was officially teased as part of new footage from Marvel Studios. Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle will return to Disney+ later this year following his brief appearance in 2025's Daredevil: Born Again. In that series, the skull-cracking hero assisted Charlie Cox's Man Without Fear in his pursuit of the masked serial killer Muse. However, the series ended with Frank being put behind bars, being held captive by the terrifying Mayor Wilson Fisk.
While fans are still months away from The Punisher's one-off streaming special, that has not stopped the super-powered franchise from setting the table for the character's MCU return. Audiences received their first official Punisher tease of 2026 with the newly debuted Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 trailer. At the 57-second mark, audiences are treated to a sweeping view of Kingpin's dungeon-like detention center, where the Daredevil big bad keeps political enemies and costumed vigilantes (including Punisher).
The last time fans saw Bernthal's Marvel character was in this dank, prison-like facility during Daredevil: Born Again Season 1's post-credits scene.
The Punisher Special Presentation is said to debut sometime after Born Again Season 2. So, one would assume that if this prison location appears in the new episodes, Frank Castle would be there too. However, Marvel has yet to confirm the character's appearance in the new episodes.
Punisher needs to escape his new steel-lined surroundings if he is going to have any chance of taking down the new villainess, Ma Gnucci (the central antagonist of his upcoming 2026 reboot project).
Watch the full Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 trailer below:
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is the second project released as part of Marvel's new Netflix-era revival on Disney+. This revitalization effort carries over classic heroes and storylines from the classic Defenders Saga, which previously streamed on Netflix. Born Again is just the beginning of this new streaming effort, with The Punisher Special Presentation next and further seasons of the Daredevil reboot.
How Will Daredevil: Born Again Set up Punisher's Special?
After making his grand return in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle will be center stage for the first time since his two-season Netflix series came to an end in 2019.
The Punisher Special Presentation will see the R-rated Marvel hero embroiled in a battle with a ruthless crime boss in the form of the classic comics character Ma Gnucci. This criminal kingpin has a history with Frank, being the head of the outfit originally responsible for his wife and daughter's deaths (at least, that is the case on the page).
However, before Frank can tussle with Ma and her various cronies, he will need to emerge from the steely confines he found himself in at the end of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. Perhaps Season 2 of the Daredevil reboot will see Charlie Cox's masked hero attempt a jailbreak of sorts at the Wilson Fisk-owned facility, freeing dozens of vigilantes (including Frank) to join his cause against the corrupt New York City mayor.
Then, taking advantage of the chaos, Bernthal's comic hero may make a break for it. He could leave Matt Murdock behind and his quest to take down Wilson Fisk for his own superhero-based pursuits.
