Daredevil v. The Punisher

Daredevil v. The Punisher is a 2012 superhero film set in the Marvel Media Franchise, the twenty-first film in the universe. It is also a sequel to Daredevil. The film stars Joe Manganiello, Tom Hardy, Rose Byrne, Ewan McGregor, Rosamund Pike, Chad Michael Murray, and Michael Fassbender and was released worldwide on December 14, 2012. The film ran 127 minutes and grossed $396.6 million on a $170 million budget.

Plot
3 years after becoming Daredevil, Matt Murdock has become a hero in his alternate persona. He co-owns the law firm Nelson & Murdock alongside his best friend Foggy Nelson. Karen Page, Matt's girlfriend, works as their secretary. Meanwhile, Frank Castle is finally released from prison. He was arrested after brutally murdering several criminals who were responsible for the death of his family. Frank sets his eyes on the Irishman, a mob boss who orchestrated the entire event that killed his family. Maria Hill, Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., learns what Castle is planning and alerts Matt, who decides to stop Frank from killing the mobster. Matt and Frank get into a fight which results in Matt getting shot. Hill helps Matt with his injuries and Matt decides he needs to get a friend.

Matt recruits Johnny Storm/Human Torch, a member of the disbanded Fantastic Four. Johnny is also the brother of the Avenger, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman. Johnny agrees to help Matt stop Frank. Matt and Johnny find Frank about to kill the Irishman and Johnny stops the mobster from getting into the shot. A goon is shot and killed instead. Matt reveals to Foggy that he plans to propose to Karen. Foggy tells him to get a reservation at the nicest restaurant in town. The city learns of the Punisher, some say he is just trying to avenge his family, others say no one should take a life no matter what. Frank escapes custody and goes after the Irishman. Matt and Karen are on their date when Frank breaks out and Matt is forced to postpone his proposing to stop Frank.

Frank is taken by the mob, where he is tortured and taunted. However, he manages to escape and brutally murders everyone except the Irishman, who he saves for last. However, Daredevil arrives and fights Frank. The Human Torch tries to incapicitate the Irishman, though he manages to escape. Daredevil realizes they will also need a confession. Frank and Matt make a truce to work together to stop the Irishman after the Human Torch realizes he is in over his head. Matt and Frank meet the Irishman at a graveyard. After a long battle, Matt gets the confession but Frank murders the crime boss anyway. Matt is disturbed by what Frank did and attacks him. Meanwhile, Foggy accidentally reveals to Karen that Matt plans to propose.

Frank and Matt make their way to the city where the fight gets into an old building that belonged to the Irishman. However, Hill warns them it was rigged with explosives to go off in five minutes. Matt and Frank work together to get all of the civilians out. However, it is only twenty seconds left and Matt is trapped inside, while Frank is outside with the civilians. Karen calls Matt after hearing this and after saying goodbye, Karen tells him "yes", just as the building explodes. Frank realizes he came to think of Matt as at least an ally, and even more a role model. Karen and Foggy mourn their friend as Frank goes peacefully to jail. Hill cleans up the mess that Daredevil and Punisher made while Karen believes that Matt found a way out and is just waiting to come back.

In a mid-credits scene, Matt awakens in a bed in a Catholic church as the nurses go get Maggie. In a post-credits scene, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson see Matt and recruit him.

Cast

 * Joe Manganiello​ as Matt Murdock/Daredevil
 * Tom Hardy as Frank Castle/Punisher
 * Rose Byrne as Karen Page
 * Ewan McGregor as Foggy Nelson
 * Rosamund Pike as Maria Hill
 * Chad Michael Murray as Johnny Storm/Human Torch
 * Michael Fassbender as The Irishman

Production
Joe Manganiello signed a five-film contract before appearing in Daredevil, and was announced to reprise his role in Daredevil v. The Punisher when it was announced in December 2009. Rose Byrne and Ewan McGregor were revealed to be reprising their roles as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, being the only supporting characters from Daredevil to return. Rosamund Pike revealed she would be reprising her role from earlier installments as Maria Hill, with 3 films left on her contract, including this film. Chad Michael Murray was revealed to be appearing in the film as Johnny Storm/Human Torch from Fantastic Four. Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender were cast in November 2010 as Frank Castle/Punisher and the Irishman, the main villain of the film. Mark Steven Johnson was hired to direct in January 2011, with filming scheduled to begin October with an intended release date of September 21, 2012. Filming concluded in February, and the film was post-poned to December 14.

Box office
Daredevil v. The Punisher earned $155,332,381 in North America, along with $241,260,448 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $396,592,829, down 24% from the first film.

Critical reception
Daredevil v. The Punisher received mixed reviews from critics. The film has a 49% "rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 218 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's consensus states: "While it offers a darker, more comic book accurate depiction on Daredevil, Daredevil v. The Punisher is undone by uneven acting, problematic pacing, and a confused script." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 57 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". CinemaScore polls conducted revealed the average grade that filmgoers gave the film was a "B" on an A+ to F scale.