If the new trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home has taught us anything, it’s that nothing stays dead for long in the MCU.
Daredevil might have been unfortunately cancelled late last year following a knockout third season, but fan-favourite character Karen Page returns for one more (final?) outing in season 2 of The Punisher.
While Karen played an important role in the first season, Deborah Ann Woll could only shoot one episode of The Punisher for season 2 due to scheduling conflicts with Daredevil, which was being filmed at the same time.
Woll couldn’t have possibly known that she might have been shooting her very last scenes as Karen during this time, because the decision was made much later down the line, but that doesn’t make her guest appearance on this season of The Punisher any less poignant.
Note: Spoilers for The Punisher season 2 follow
After Billy Russo framed Frank Castle for murder at the end of episode 10, The Punisher finds himself in the hospital under police custody. Believing that he’s broken his own code and hurt innocent people, Frank himself seems broken too, completely without hope.
What to Read Next
It’s at this late and pivotal stage in the game that Karen arrives. After hearing about his arrest on the news, Karen comes to offer moral support and find out whether the allegations against her friend are true. She’s soon joined by Frank’s teen sidekick, Amy Bendix, and Homeland Security Agent Dinah Madani, who suspect that The Punisher might not be guilty, after all.
Using her various reporter connections, Karen takes Madani to the morgue where they question an attendant about Frank’s victims and how they died. Upon learning that the women in question must have been murdered by someone else, they then head back to the hospital and give him the boost he needs to fight on again in his crusade against both Billy Russo and John Pilgrim.
Always ready to believe in him, Karen plans to spring Frank out of the hospital, but he’s reluctant, determined as ever to keep her out of harm’s way. What follows is a heartwarming exchange that fully rewards fans who have watched Karen and Frank grow closer and closer over the past few years.
Aside from one mention of Matt Murdock, the man otherwise known as Daredevil, this entire scene belongs solely to them and if this is the last time we see this pair on screen together – it’s certainly a powerful way for them to bow out.
One big strength of The Punisher has always been its refusal to crowbar MCU references in unnecessarily, but Karen remains the exception to this because of the organic relationship she shares with Frank. While fans might be disappointed to learn that Woll’s character only appears in one episode this time round, her limited role in season 2 actually makes perfect sense when you consider where Karen and Frank are at this point in their lives.
Although The Punisher hasn’t been cancelled just yet, it looks like Jon Bernthal won’t be doing much punishing in the future if the fate of other Marvel Netflix shows like Daredevil is any indication.
Woll seems to think so too, sadly revealing that Karen’s role in The Punisher this year is “likely” to be her “final appearance” in the MCU. If that’s true, then it makes her last words on the show even more poignant: “Good luck, Frank.”
Despite the mixed reviews that The Punisher’s second season has received so far, we can’t help but wish Frank the best, too.
The Punisher season 2 is streaming now on Netflix.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter account.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
