We’ve said it once, and we’ll undoubtedly say it many times, but it’s always the most unexpected ships that take our hearts and run for the hills. The ships that may not get the endgame we’re hoping for but the ones that leave a transcendent mark regardless. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of those romantic pairings is Kastle (Frank Castle and Karen Page). And with the news that Karen Page (and Foggy Nelson) are returning, all we need is a reunion—just one, and we’ll go our merry way without complaining. (There might be some complaining.)
Karen Page is an integral character when it comes to Daredevil, both as Matt Murdock’s friend and within the show’s thematic narrative as well. She adds heart in a way that no other character manages, making the grittier series softer, warm, and profoundly memorable. This very heart is why she’s also a central part of The Punisher because her role adds nuance to every scenario where she’s present while she stands as the voice of reason and the beacon of hope simultaneously.
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Throughout both series, Karen experiences far more than a single character should, and even as darkness creeps up in the corners of the city, she keeps the light necessary, fighting with everything in her to continue bringing what’s prominent in and after every battle. At the same time, she’s a character we don’t have nearly enough of—one who deserves her own spinoff if you ask us. Still, her role in the new Daredevil: Born Again series could continue expanding the character’s legacy while reminding viewers that kindness in a cruel world is a greater strength than any super-heroic power.
With the possibility of more screentime for Karen Page, the series could allow Deborah Ann Woll to resume adding matchless and noteworthy layers to everything Karen stands for. Further, she also deserves love, and she deserves someone who’ll go to the ends of the earth for her, which we know that Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle would, looking out for her in a way that shows both the character and the audience what a precious light she is in the narrative—their universe. Yet again, while romance seems to be rare in the MCU nowadays, we’re a little (very) tired of most characters ending up alone to balance the requisites of a tragic hero when they can merely just be a hero.
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Frank Castle is an anti-hero, but the light and the spark and all the good left in him after the losses he endured are entirely because of Karen Page. It’s because of how she holds on and how she believes in him. It’s because of the warmth she brings that he himself probably can’t even fathom, making their dynamic that much more riveting. Neither Karen nor Frank fully understand why they’re so drawn to each other—why they’d do anything to protect each other. There’s a steady, unyielding belief threading them closer, yes, but it’s something more that makes Kastle so dynamic, too. Somehow, through all the shadows and the chaos, they became each other’s person. The person they’ll jump in front of flying bullets for, the person they won’t let a single person speak ill of—the person they’ll keep inching closer toward when all is said and done to ensure they’re okay.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Screenshot via Disney+