Jon Bernthal"s Punisher Returning In Daredevil: Born Again Has Me Hopeful The MCU Can Beat 2024"s R-Rated Heights

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I"m happy to see that the MCU is fully embracing new opportunities with Daredevil: Born Again, and I"m convinced that Jon Bernthal"s Punisher will build upon the R-rated heights reached in 2024. Daredevil: Born Again will finally premiere on March 4 and will continue Daredevil"s story that started in 2015"s Daredevil on Netflix. Like the original series, which aired for three seasons, the Disney+ show will maintain its TV-MA rating (the TV show equivalent of an R-rating), leaning into the violence and mature themes that helped to define the original.
It"s been a long wait, but we finally got to see how this will look in the first trailer for Daredevil: Born Again. The trailer unveils a litany of returning characters, including Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, Bullseye, and Kingpin, with the lattermost ascending to New York Mayor and threatening to use his power for devious means. Another exciting reprisal is Jon Bernthal"s Frank Castle, AKA Punisher, who can be seen clashing with Matt Murdock and wielding a hatchet. While his wasn"t the most violent moment in the trailer, I"m confident that Punisher"s return will push new boundaries for Marvel.
Deadpool & Wolverine Was The MCU's First R-Rated Movie And Was A Big Success Deadpool & Wolverine's Most Violent Scenes Were Tempered By Humor Close Although it"s been a long time coming, Daredevil: Born Again follows Deadpool & Wolverine with its mature age rating. Deadpool & Wolverine broke new ground when it was released in the summer of 2024 as the MCU"s first R-rated movie. Although Echo - which, incidentally, also featured Daredevil and Kingpin - was the MCU"s first foray into themes too mature for the typical PG13 rating, audiences were thrilled to learn that Deadpool & Wolverine wouldn"t be pulling any punches now it was under Disney"s purview. Thankfully, it delivered in spades, becoming one of the MCU"s highest-grossing movies.
Deadpool & Wolverine is also the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, an accolade it clinched from Oppenheimer.
Deadpool & Wolverine laid out its stall very early as Deadpool tore through hapless TVA agents with the adamantium skeleton of Logan. This no-holds-barred violence continued throughout Deadpool & Wolverine, leaning into one of the most R-rated characteristics for which the franchise is known. Just as integral to the Deadpool franchise, however, is Deadpool"s signature irreverence and foul mouth, which permeated Deadpool & Wolverine with an air of levity and softened the impact of some of its most violent scenes. Something tells me that this may not be the case for Marvel"s next R-rated romp.
Daredevil: Born Again Already Looks Violent And I'm Certain Punisher Will Add To Its R-Rating Punisher Is One Of Marvel's Most Gratuitously Violent Yet Serious Characters Speaking of pulling no punches, the Daredevil: Born Again trailer follows suit by laying out exactly what audiences can expect with its most violent scenes. In just two short minutes, the trailer features:

Heavy blows that draw blood
Bodies hanging from chains
Someone being thrown in front of a speeding train.
A face being smashed into glass
A leg being broken with a drop-kick
A compound fracture
Someone being thrown to the ground and breaking their neck

The original Daredevil was well-known for its violent sequences, with Daredevil"s hallway brawl and Kingpin"s car door scene being two standouts. It also looks as if these two will be responsible for similarly violent sequences in Daredevil: Born Again - but Punisher promises something even more intense.

Related Marvel Proved Punisher Isn't Too Dark For The MCU Almost 30 Years Ago The issue of integrating the Punisher’s trademark violence and gore into the MCU’s family-friendly tone was actually solved years ago in animation.
Posts I say this recognizing that Frank Castle"s brief sequence in the trailer is one of the least violent. Yet the fact that he wields a hatchet foreshadows what we can expect from Bernthal"s appearance, and I"d wager it"s more of the characteristic hyper-violence he displayed throughout his appearances in the Defenders Saga. While the Daredevil: Born Again trailer hinges on the themes of Daredevil struggling to suppress his violent nature, his pales in comparison to Frank Castle"s - who is easily the most violent character from this collection of street-level Marvel characters.
Daredevil: Born Again Could Help The MCU Beat Deadpool & Wolverine's Heights Daredevil: Born Again Will Be Violent But Severe Close With that in mind, I"m confident that the MCU is about to significantly ramp up the violence seen in Deadpool & Wolverine. I realize that Deadpool & Wolverine featured some of the most violent scenes ever seen in the MCU. These include the titular heroes" multiple visceral scuffles to the early scene where Deadpool inadvertently gets Wolverine"s claws stuck in some particularly inopportune areas between two TVA agents. Nevertheless, Daredevil: Born Again is primed to do away with one prominent mitigating factor: the comedic effect.
Punisher, in particular, is an extremely severe character with one of the most heartrending backstories that spurs him to act out of vengeance, a motivation starkly opposed to Deadpool"s irreverence.
Punisher, in particular, is an extremely severe character with one of the most heartrending backstories that spurs him to act out of vengeance, a motivation starkly opposed to Deadpool"s irreverence. Combined with the suggestion that Daredevil and Kingpin will struggle to contain their own underlying bloodthirstiness and the immensely macabre MO of the show"s newest villain, Muse, I think we"re in for a particularly wild ride. With that in mind, I think Daredevil: Born Again is about to blow Marvel"s typical MO out of the water - and I can"t wait.

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Daredevil: Born Again TV-MA After Charlie Cox's cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home and supporting role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Daredevil: Born Again gives Matt Murdock his first show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Daredevil: Born Again continues the story that started in Netflix's three-season Daredevil series and sees Wilson Fisk ascend to mayor of New York City.
Release Date March 4, 2025 Main Genre Adventure Franchise(s) Daredevil , Marvel Cinematic Universe Cast Charlie Cox , Vincent D'Onofrio , Deborah Ann Woll , Elden Henson , Jon Bernthal , Margarita Levieva , Nikki M. James , Genneya Walton , Arty Froushan , Michael Gandolfini , Ayelet Zurer , Zabryna Guevara , Clark Johnson Writers Chris Ord Directors Michael Cuesta , Aaron Moorhead , Justin Benson , Jeffrey Nachmanoff Showrunner Chris Ord Expand Upcoming MCU Movies