Daredevil Season 3 was filled with lots for fans to enjoy. Someone was missing, though: The Punisher. When Frank Castle made his debut in the second season of the superhero series, his electrifying entrance stimulated the entire show and transformed it into a season that was as thought-provoking as it was action-packed.
In Daredevil Season 3, The Punisher's presence was sorely missed. The introduction of the vigilante made Season 2 tick in a way the series had not done before or since. While fans knew ahead of time there would be no crossovers in Season 3, that does not mean we don't wish there had been at least one with good old Frank Castle. Here are the three reasons Daredevil Season 3 should have brought back The Punisher.
Karen
Karen came a long way in Daredevil's third season. The thing is, she had also come a long way during her time on The Punisher. Having had her share of intense moments with The Punisher seemed to have an impact on her. Fast forward to Daredevil, and it felt like that never happened.
Season 3 finally revealed the backstory that Karen had been keeping a secret. Accordingly, it helped fill in a lot of blanks. Karen blames herself for her brother's death. So, she has found ways to avoid lasting happiness to punish herself. As shown in his solo series, Frank ultimately holds himself largely accountable for his family's murders. Hence, why he has also denied himself any happiness.
The reveal of her past puts her closer to The Punisher than it does Matt. After all, Matt does not consider himself to be a fundamentally bad person. Nor has he really wrestled with the emotions of thinking he is one. If anything, he has focused on having bad things happen. Matt also does not have anyone's death on his conscience in the way Frank does.
To have had Karen sift through this reveal and share it with Frank would have been a tremendous scene between the two. There is always a chance such a thing could occur between them on The Punisher's solo series. Having them talk it out on the show their bond began on would have been a full circle moment, though.
Matt Needed a Sounding Board
When The Punisher made his ferocious debut on Daredevil's second season, he also entered into a philosophical debate with the series' namesake. Throughout Season 3, Matt bandied about his philosophy on various theorems. Although Sister Maggie offered thoughtful responses, they weren't what Matt would have gotten from The Punisher.
Given the state that Matt was in, it would have been interesting to hear what Frank Castle would have had to say about all of it. There is a particular point that would have been thought-provoking to have Frank weigh in.
During Season 3, Matt considers breaking his vow of non-lethal force to kill Wilson Fisk. What would The Punisher have had to say about Matt, once so harsh in his judgment of Frank's solutions, crossing the line and ending a life? Would Frank have expressed his discord or agreement? Well, we may never know.
Frank had actually taken the action Matt was considering. He has also lived with the aftermath. In Season 3, Matt felt a lot different about it than he did when he and The Punisher had their last debate. So, there would have been a lot of ground for them to cover.
The Action Scenes
The fight sequences in Daredevil's third season were good. The action scenes in Season 2 were outstanding. One of the standout action sequences from Season 2 was Frank Castle's prison brawl. Season 3 attempted to tap a similar vein with Matt's prison escape. Despite the set-up, the two scenes could not have been more different.
Throughout Season 3, Matt takes one beating after another, barely claiming victory. Every fight involved him hardly making it out alive. In a strikingly different approach, Frank Castle more confidently won the day. There were still nail-biting and edge-of-your-seat thrills, without Frank needing to be beat-up repeatedly.
That's not to say that The Punisher didn't take his fair share of beatings, both on Daredevil and then especially on The Punisher. That said, the assurances that a battle with The Punisher brought to Daredevil Season 2 was incredible. You could sense that he would do anything to defeat his opponent, no matter what the physical toll to himself. Frank was a fighting machine. It gave Season 2's scenes an edge that Season 3 was missing.
Outside of the Season 3 battle between Daredevil and Bullseye in the church, what else was as spectacular? The Punisher brought multiple mesmerizing fights to the second season of Daredevil.
We all know that The Punisher will be back for a second installment of his solo series. Seeing how well he worked in the world of Daredevil, it was a shame not to have him present in the series' third season. There was an extra ingredient he brought to the table that was notably missing.
Frank would have simmered in rage beneath the surface in a way that would have let you know what he was thinking without him needing to verbalize it. The last time Frank Castle tangled with Wilson Fisk, both were behind bars. Now free, it would have been interesting to see where that would have taken them. Frank should have been essential in bringing him down.
There was a history between the characters worth playing. Much like how Wilson Fisk's history played into The Punisher's Season 2 storyline on Daredevil, it would have been a blast to see Frank go toe-to-toe with Fisk and Bullseye. In fact, Bullseye's marksmanship could theoretically only be challenged by The Punisher. Plus, having him around for Daredevil's third season would have also served as a springboard to his show's second season, just as Season 2's did with The Punisher's first.
Seasons 1 through 3 of Daredevil are currently available to stream on Netflix, as well as the first season of The Punisher. The latest installment of the superhero drama is among a lot of new upcoming content that has been and will be arriving on the streaming giant this fall.
