Marvel’s Daredevil fans were thrilled by the news that the Netflix original program would add Shane from The Walking Dead Jon Bernthal to its cast as Frank Castle AKA “The Punisher” last season. Now that the dust has settled, the acclaim garnered from his portrayal of the vengeful gunslinging vigilante has lead to an even more exciting announcement today, that The Punisher will get his own Netflix series. This marks the sixth series Netflix & Marvel Television have ordered in collaboration following: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, as well as the forthcoming Iron Fist, Luke Cage and The Defenders.
Steve Lightfoot (Hannibal) will serve as the showrunner for Marvel’s The Punisher inaugural season. Bernthal will star as the titular antihero. Per Marvel.com:
“We want to thank the fans who are clamoring for more of Jon’s stunning and powerful performance as Frank Castle from ‘Marvel’s Daredevil,’” said Executive Producer/Head of Marvel Television, Jeph Loeb, “Now combined with Showrunner Steve Lightfoot’s compelling writing, we’re thrilled to bring ‘Marvel’s The Punisher’ to Netflix.”
“Jon hooked our global audience with his performance as Frank Castle from the moment he stepped on screen in ‘Marvel’s Daredevil,’ and we are looking forward to seeing more of him in this role under the vision of Steve Lightfoot,” said Cindy Holland, Netflix Vice President of Original Content.
“For me, the complexity and unpredictability of Frank Castle make him an incredibly compelling character and I couldn’t be more excited to dive into his world,” said Executive Producer and Showrunner, Steve Lightfoot. “After watching Jon’s performance in ‘Marvel’s Daredevil’ I could not be more excited to be working with him to further develop and progress the story of this anti-hero in a show of his own.”
It’s unknown as of yet, what role if any The Punisher will play in the forthcoming superhero mash-up series, The Defenders, now that he’s part of the Marvel x Netflix family.
