After an immensely popular first season, Season 2 of Netflix’s “Daredevil” is shaping up to be one of the biggest events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With the inclusion of Jon Bernthal as The Punisher, the question on everyone’s mind is whether he’ll be introduced as a new hero or principal villain?

For those that aren’t familiar with the infamous Marvel character, Frank Castle is a man who’s family is murdered by criminals. With nothing to live for and a deadly set of skills, he adopts the persona of The Punisher - an assassin that tracks down criminals and villains to murder them. He often clashes in the comic books with Matt Murdock’s Daredevil, who Season 1 fans will note is far more into law and order than murder.

According to a report from The Nerdist, it looks like The Punisher will be more of a villain than an ally to Daredevil (Charlie Cox) when “The Walking Dead” star Jon Bernthal takes on the role in 2016. A source close to co-showrunner Marco Ramirez tells the outlet that he is referring to the show's new season, internally, as “Daredevil vs. The Punisher.”

This makes sense for those who watched Matt Murdock’s arc in “Daredevil” Season 1. The season ends with [SPOILER ALERT] Daredevil defeating The Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, in an intense alleyway throw down. After spending the entire season trying to decide if he should kill him, he finally decides to let the justice system have Fisk and remain a symbol for law and order.

If Bernthal’s Punisher is anything like his comic book counterpart, his predilection to shoot first and not ask questions later will likely make him a target for the blind defender of Hell’s Kitchen. After all, he literally just decided he was better than doing exactly what The Punisher does.

“That’s going to raise the stakes so much more, because Matt Murdock almost behaves like the Punisher in the first season,” co-star Rosario Dawson recently told MTV News. “[Matt] crosses the line quite often, so it’s going to be really interesting to see how they differentiate them and where that goes.”

Fear not, though, Punisher fans. Even if the two characters come to blows at first, The Punisher likely won’t be the only bad guy floating around Season 2. Previous reports indicate that the Netflix series is currently looking for both an actor to play Bullseye and an actress to play Elektra in the upcoming season.

What do you think of Charlie Cox and Jon Bernthal going toe-to-toe next season? Comment below or tweet your thoughts to @TylerMcCarthy.

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