Now that Daredevil season 2 is officially on Netflix and Frank Castle has emerged from the shadows, fans have been sent into a flurry over the approach taken to the vigilante known as The Punisher.

Much like with Wilson Fisk in the highly acclaimed first season, you see the effects of the Punisher before you actually meet him, making him seem exponentially more dangerous with every episode.

Punisher does not play well with others

“I think when Matt Murdock initially meets Frank Castle, it’s very easy for him to pigeonhole him in the same way that he did Wilson Fisk from Season 1,” said Charlie Cox via telephone conference with Hypable.

“What happens very quickly after that is he has to consider another possibility which is that these two people are actually cut from the same cloth. They’re much more similar than they are different. Of course, that is immensely painful for Matt.”

Daredevil and Punisher fans have examined the cords of difference and similarity between these two ruthless vigilantes for decades, so watching this unfold throughout season 2 has gotten people pretty hyped. Murdock, however, is obviously not too hyped about the existence of someone like Frank Castle in his city.

“As the season continues and he struggles with this idea that not only is he similar to the kind of man who’s causing these killings, he’s also got to consider the possibility that he himself is responsible for the emergence of people like Frank Castle,” said Cox. “So that’s a pretty tough emotional journey that he has to go through.”

What’s changed with Daredevil since season 1?

We’ve already pieced together where we last left our heroes, but once fans get through to the intense third episode, they’ll realize that this season features Daredevil in his prime. Both physically and mentally, Matt Murdock begins the season at his absolute best.

“Matt and Daredevil have enjoyed a period of time where everything seems to be going brilliantly. Wilson Fisk is behind bars. The crime rate has plummeted because everyone is aware of Daredevil and his work and he’s been kind of keeping tabs on the city in a very efficient fashion. What that’s done to Matt’s character, I think, is he’s grown and become more confident. He’s more self-assured and I also think there’s a swagger and an arrogance to him now. When I read the first episode of season 2, at the end of the opening credit sequence it specifically said in the writing that there’s a smile on his face,” said Cox.

Of course, those that have pressed play already on the show’s second season know that this honeymoon period doesn’t last too long. Of course, things never do seem to truly settle down in Hell’s Kitchen, do they?

After Punisher

Now that some fans have already sped through to the end of season 2 (and gotten to see the special surprise Netflix has in store for fans that watch all 13 episodes in a row), speculation has begun on whether or not season 3 will feature a brand new villain, or one that we’ve seen before. Charlie Cox has his own preference, both as a fan of the comics, and as a fan of Vincent D’Onofrio

“Personally, if we continue to make Daredevil a series, rather than have a new character every season, I’d love us to explore more the Wilson Fisk stuff,” said Cox. “It’d be great if at some point Vincent D’Onofrio would come back for a season. There’s so much Daredevil/Wilson Fisk left untold. As he kind of really came into his own, as Wilson Fisk turned into Kingpin at the end of the Season 1, I’d love to now see what that does to the Daredevil/Wilson Fisk dynamic going forward — if we were to do a season 3 or 4, whatever.”

Daredevil season 2 is now on Netflix.