Update: new pics & details from Daredevil season 2 with The Punisher & more!

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Fans of Netflix’s Daredevil can seemingly rest easy with the impending debut of season 2 sometime in 2016, as Entertainment Weekly reports from the set (and having seen the first two episodes) that it’s looking like another rock solid season from the dark superhero show. Showrunners Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez have taken over from season one’s Steven S. DeKnight and are promising a fitting follow up.

“The advantage of any sequel is you can dive right in,” Petrie says. “We hit the ground running and then we ran as fast as we f—ing could.”

Fans of Frank Castle AKA The Punisher (as played by Jon Bernthal) are hoping for a proper portrayal of the famed Marvel character, who has suffered through three big-screen iterations that never quite caught on. Personally speaking, as someone who’s read nearly every Punisher comic put to print, I’d love to see someone get Castle right and based on what we’ve seen so far, I’m cautiously optimistic. Obviously, Castle’s origin has to shift from the Vietnam Vet turned vigilante, but that’s an easy adjustment in terms of wartime service. However, the reality of a gun-toting vigilante in modern-day America will be addressed, according to Petrie.

“Viewers watching the show will be rooting for this guy with a gun but we’re also going to force people — the way we force Matt — to second-guess themselves. Taking lethal justice into your own hands in America in 2015 is tricky s–t. We have not shied away from the rich complicated reality of Now. If you’ve got a gun and you’re not the police you’re going to incite strong feelings. We’re stirring the pot and we’re aware of the headlines where we live and we’re trying to get people to think.” 

Bernthal says he felt the pressure to nail the character of Frank Castle, especially after the last few iterations of the character.

”People have been coming up to me on the streets of New York saying, ‘Do not mess this up.’ This character has resonated with law enforcement and military. He’s brought the war home with him in the worst possible way. And the best thing about him is that if he offends you, he just doesn’t care.” 

Also joining the ranks this season is Elektra Natchios, played by Elodie Yung. Created by Frank Miller (who doesn’t seem to be a fan of this version, although he’s yet to see her portrayal), Elektra has always represented the pull of Matt Murdock’s dark side and it appears that will play heavily into the new season, as well as his chemistry with Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), which will be much “steamier” this season, according to Petrie.

“Matt’s a deeply moral complicated guy and she’s [Elektra] just the best bad girlfriend you can possibly have,” Petrie says. “She does everything wrong and attractive, she’s his id, the wild side. Matt is always taming his wild side. Elektra just lets it out. He’s both repulsed and deeply drawn to that.”

Fans who felt that season one of Daredevil was too dark (i.e. they could hardly see what was happening) will be happy to hear that Petrie and Ramirez are lightening things up in a literal sense. “It will still be dark, but we’ve added more layers.”

As a lifelong fan of these characters and someone who has read the comics for more than two decades, I’m extremely happy to see them getting the care they deserve in this venue. While I was somewhat skeptical of the Netflix model at first, both Daredevil and Jessica Jones have proven that the “darker side” of the MCU can be brought to life with a much-needed harder edge and benefits greatly with the longform, episodic treament. My fingers are crossed for a great second season and my hopes are high that we’ll finally get the Frank Castle we know and love.

Daredevil season 2 will debut on Netflix sometime in 2016.