The Punisher is one of my favorite comic
books, but it has not fared well when it comes to big screen adaptations. Part
of this is because the overtly violent, morally questionable (or repugnant if
you like) stance makes any adaptation a hard-R by necessity. Since
Daredevil became a hit on Netflix, with a darker, grittier
tone rather than the bright fun of Marvel Cinematic Universe, many have
wondered if the character could show up there. And now we know he will, and who
is going to play him. Get more after the jump.
Marvel announced that The Walking Dead
alum Jon Bernthal has been cast as Frank Castle, the alter ego of the vicious
vigilante. He isn’t getting his own series just yet (fingers crossed for that),
but he will appear in season 2 of Daredevil when it hits
next year. Despite my less than enthusiastic reaction to his run as Shane on
The Walking Dead, I like Bernthal, and he’s a solid fit for
this role, as he’s got a grip on playing the stern, stoic action types.
The Punisher and Matt Murdock/Daredevil come into conflict
on a regular basis in the comics, as they have very different ways of dealing
with the criminal element they both fight, and that should lead to some fun
onscreen battles. Punisher is just one of the new characters that will show up
in Season 2 of Daredevil. We’ve heard rumors that Bullseye
could make an appearance and that casting is already underway for Elektra, both
of whom would be awesome additions.
I mostly just hope that, for once, we’ll get the Punisher
how he is in the comics rendered on screen. There have been three tries, and
while each has gotten a little bit better, none of them have quite arrived
where they need to be just yet. With the established tone, and the willingness
to get brutal and bloody, a Netflix series seems like the best home for the
character. While we don’t know how big a role he’ll play in
Daredevil, let’s hope this is a steppingstone to a series of
his own.
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