Wow. This is one of those rare casting moments when the internet should go almost silent in agreement. It had been rumored for months that the Punisher was coming to Marvel’s new gritty Netflix world, either as either a cameo in one of the upcoming shows, or way down the line in his own series. Marvel cleared up all of the speculation today when they announced that the Punisher will be appearing in the second season of Daredevil.
Actor Jon Bernthal (Fury, The Walking Dead) has been chosen by Marvel to play Frank Castle, in one of the most spot-on casting decisions since Robert Downey Jr. was cast as Tony Stark. Bernthal first caught the attention of audiences as Shane on The Walking Dead and most recently was seen going up against Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street and Brad Pitt in Fury. There were also rumors that he was in contention for the role of Rick Flagg in Suicide Squad, however it appears he has found the comic book role that seems tailor-made for him.
There is now a long line of actors who have taken a stab at the role of the Punisher, but no one has been able to fully translate what about the psychopathic vigilante that is so endearing to readers. (It can’t be that hard to do…can it?) Bernthal has already proven that he has the acting tool kit and range, to pull off the traumatic grief that Castle endured while watching his family be killed. He has also played a man on the edge several times and it is easy to see how he would seamlessly blend into Daredevil’s dark and gritty atmosphere. Check out Marvel’s official press release, then let’s speculate a little…
Marvel Official Press Release:
Jon Bernthal (“Wolf of Wall Street,” “The Walking Dead, ” “Fury”) joins the upcoming season of “Marvel’s Daredevil,” streaming only on Netflix in 2016!
Bernthal will portray The Punisher, one of Marvel’s most popular characters. He is a vigilante who aims to clean up New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen by any means necessary, no matter how lethal the results.
“Jon Bernthal brings an unmatched intensity to every role he takes on, with a potent blend of power, motivation and vulnerability that will connect with audiences,” said Jeph Loeb, Marvel’s Head of Television. “Castle’s appearance will bring dramatic changes to the world of Matt Murdock and nothing will be the same.”
Bernthal will also appear in the upcoming action thriller “The Accountant.”
“Marvel’s Daredevil” is Executive Produced by Doug Petrie (“American Horror Story,” “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”), Marco Ramirez (“Marvel’s Daredevil,” “DaVinci’s Demons”) and Drew Goddard (“Cabin in the Woods,” “Lost”), along with Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Marvel’s Jessica Jones.”)
“Marvel’s Daredevil” is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios. Season one of “Marvel’s Daredevil” is now streaming on Netflix.
Blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) fights against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the Super Hero “Daredevil” in modern day Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. “Marvel’s Daredevil” stars Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson and Rosario Dawson.
This is also another confirmation that the world of Daredevil will be dramatically expanding in the second season. There are other major characters from the comics that will be making their introduction, including Bullseye and Elektra as well. It will be interesting to see how Marvel will handle this burgeoning world of assassins, while also keeping a complete lunatic of a character like the Punisher sympathetic. It is unclear how many episodes he is scheduled to appear in, but it is hard to think that they wouldn’t utilize Bernthal as much as possible. Which is all very exciting. In all likelihood, Daredevil will come to blows with Castle before forging some form of an uneasy alliance, so expect to get your money’s worth next year. Wait it’s already included in the Netflix subscription?! What an awesome time we live in…
The second season of Daredevil is coming to Netflix in 2016.
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Source: Marvel