Marvel's Daredevil Season 2 is just a few short months away, and when it arrives, there are going to be a few new faces in Hell's Kitchen. And they are Marvel heavy hitters that fans have waited a longtime to see brought to the MCU. Jon Bernthal, who made a name for himself fighting the Walking Dead is taking on the role of Frank Castle, aka The Punisher. While Elodie Yung, who dressed in red to swing swords in G.I. Joe Retaliation, is appearing as future Matt Murdock love interest Elektra. The latest issue of EW has a fresh look at both of these Hell's Kitchen superheroes.

Marvel's Daredevil Season 2 is going to be a fast, fun ride full or romance. It also has a very complex story this time around, centering on the controversial vigilante The Punisher, who likes to kill while Daredevil only likes to maim. Some have worried that Marvel's Daredevil may become a more tame beast in the New Year, especially since it has lost writer-producer Steve S. DeKnight as a showrunner. But that doesn't appear to be the case. And while the first season was definitely a more grown-up affair than what we've seen in the movies, don't expect that to change in 2016.

EW has seen the first two episodes of Marvel's Daredevil Season 2. And they exclaim that new showrunners Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez have maintained all the aspects that fans loved the first time around. But that hasn't stopped them from propelling the story forward at an accelerated rate. While Marvel's Daredevil Season 1 waited until episode 3 to introduce The Kingpin, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, these new episodes waste no time in setting up the new story arc. And The Punisher walks on scene in the very first new episode, which opens with an intense action scene. Says Petrie about bringing the show back firing on all cylinders right out of the gate.

"The advantage of any sequel is you can dive right in. We hit the ground running and then we ran as fast as we f-ing could."

Frank Castle is an ex-Special Forces soldier with a tragic past. Much like Matt Murdock, he is determined to clean up the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen. Only, he has a decidedly different way about doing it opposed to Daredevil's methods. He utilizes his arsenal of guns instead of handing out beatdowns. In the first half of Marvel's Daredevil Season 2, his heroism with be quite ambiguous, and it will leave some believing he is the true villain. Though, the first couple of episodes set him up in such a unique, awesome way, most fans will be championing his techniques.

Most DC Comics and Marvel superheros avoid using guns. Captain America has been the rare exception to the rule while serving in WWII. And there are a few others like Deadpool who gleefully support the NRA. But Frank Castle takes it to the next level. He likes to hunt down and exterminate criminals with brutal force. The show is expected to allow viewers to compare and analyze Matt and Frank's different methods. Petrie goes onto explain the following.

"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."

While discussing Frank Castle's motivation, the subject of Taxi Driver keeps rising to the surface. Castle isn't too far removed from Robert De Niro's iconic Travis Bickle character. Ramirez added this about reconstructing The Punisher for the small screen, connecting him to the MCU.

"He has a different moral code. Matt is a devout Catholic - and you rarely see a character who's a devotee anything on TV. Frank has Hammurabi's Code. It's like letting a great white shark into the water."

When Marvel's Daredevil Season 2 debuts, Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle takes a cue from Matt Murdock in the first season, wearing a much less flashy costume than he's known for in the comic books. This allows him more freedom to move through the streets. As he stalks his prey, he is said to be quite reminiscent of Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator. The actor notes that there was plenty of pressure to nail this guy down and get him right.

"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."

Marvel's Daredevil Season 2 promises to have a lot more sex scenes as well. The first run of episodes was rather tame in this department, especially when compared to some of the bedroom scenes that kick off Marvel's Jessica Jones. But this time out, Matt is getting a lot closer to Karen. Then we see his old college sweetheart reemerge. Yes, Elektra is being added to this powder keg mix, and it's going to be quite explosive. Expect this Elektra to be quite a bit different from what was seen on the big screen. Petrie explains.

"Matt's a deeply moral complicated guy and she's just the best bad girlfriend you can possibly have. 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."

One aspect that is different about these new episodes when compared to last year is that there considerably less dark. Literally. While the first season featured rooms barely lit by the glow of a television, there is a crystal clarity to some scenes this time around. The tone will still be dark, but Petrie promises more layers. The show returns in early 2016. We can expect to see a full-length trailer sometime in the very near future. Until that happens, check out new photos of Jon Bernthal's Punisher meeting Charlie Cox's Daredevil. We also get to see Matt Murdock having a moment with Karen (Charlie Cox) and a new shot of Elodie Yung out of costume as Elektra. And stay tuned, EW promises more fun teases are on the way before the New Year gets rung in!

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