Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Repeats the MCU’s Oldest Avengers Plot Hole With the Punisher

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Now that Daredevil has officially joined the main Marvel Cinematic Universe, some long-standing issues are coming to light. While integrating Daredevil offers many advantages, it also highlights one of the MCU’s biggest inconsistencies. Marvel has consistently worked to address fan concerns and improve its films and shows, but certain problems, stemming from the differences between the screen adaptations and the original comics, may never be fully resolved – and this particular one has been around for over ten years.

Season two of Daredevil: Born Again significantly expands on the story from season one, largely abandoning previous plotlines to concentrate on the intense conflict between Matt Murdock and Mayor Fisk. While the season features appearances from other heroes and villains like Jessica Jones, Swordsman, White Tiger, and Bullseye, the absence of a key Daredevil character raises concerns about the future direction of the series.

Like The Avengers, The Punisher Is Randomly Missing From A Major MCU Threat

Fans constantly ask where the Avengers are in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The original Avengers team assembled in 2012 to tackle massive threats to Earth, so it’s surprising that so many large-scale dangers have appeared in recent movies—like Eternals, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Thunderbolts—without any involvement from Earth’s mightiest heroes.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe sometimes offers in-universe reasons for the Avengers’ absence from certain films, but often these explanations simply mask the practical challenges of production. It wouldn’t be realistic to include all the major Avengers stars in every movie – like an Ant-Man film – because of the huge costs, scheduling conflicts, and the way it would limit storytelling possibilities. Therefore, to keep the MCU functioning smoothly, some movies simply need to go on without the Avengers.

Just like the mystery of the Avengers’ absence, it’s unclear why the Punisher isn’t appearing in season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again. Given the major threat posed by Mayor Fisk and the AVTF, Frank Castle’s help would be expected, especially since he played a key role in season 1 and had already broken out of Fisk’s prison. Considering his strong animosity towards Fisk, it’s surprising he isn’t assisting Daredevil and his allies this season.

Jon Bernthal’s busy schedule with projects like The Odyssey, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and The Punisher: One Last Kill probably prevented him from appearing in season 2 of Born Again. However, the show still needs to address where the Punisher is. Ignoring his absence would create a significant plot problem.

Frank’s disappearance also weakens the Daredevil storyline. With Karen’s return, it doesn’t make sense that Frank wouldn’t be involved in helping Daredevil fight Fisk, especially considering how much he cares for her. His absence damages the believability of their friendship, and the writers need to address this.

The Punisher’s Absence Needs To Be Explained In 2 Upcoming Projects

While the Punisher won’t be part of the second season of Born Again, Frank Castle is still slated to appear in two upcoming Marvel projects. First, he’ll star in his own Disney+ special, The Punisher: One Last Kill, and then he’ll team up with Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Until these projects are released, his complete story remains unknown, but they’ll need to address why he wasn’t included in Born Again when they do come out.

The criminals Frank Castle is pursuing in One Last Kill might be connected to Mayor Fisk’s operation, meaning Frank could be unintentionally aiding Fisk’s rivals by eliminating them. Alternatively, Frank might be captured or choose to leave New York, which would account for his disappearance. If the Brand New Day storyline happens at the same time as Born Again, that could also explain why he’s gone. It’s also possible Frank is focused on conflicts with Spider-Man and the Hulk instead of Fisk, leading him to fight a separate battle within the city.

Leaving Frank Castle’s absence unexplained is a real letdown for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and especially those who love Daredevil. Since Frank originated in the Daredevil series, removing him from season two of Born Again to work on other projects doesn’t make sense unless his role significantly contributes to the overall story.

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2026-05-02 20:12