Netflix have finally seen sense/realised their grand masterplan as it looks as though Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is getting his own series. According to Entertainment Weekly, the series has been greenlit and will be announced shortly, with Steve Lightfoot due to be the showrunner.
Now, anyone who has seen Season 2 of Daredevil will know that The Punisher was one of the best things in the series. Compelling, dark, and well-played by Bernthal, the character immediately had fans calling for a spin-off series. Indeed, I was one of them! Rumours have been swirling about this happening ever since the character’s appearance in Daredevil was announced, and it looks like each of them was true.
It’s going to be a daunting task though, as the Punisher can be quite hard to write for. It’s easy to make him the secondary character in another’s story, an antagonist-turned-protagonist for when the chips are really down, but going in-depth with the mindset of a vigilante who is one step away from being the sort of criminal he himself would hunt will require a deft touch. Not least because just watching a man mow down gang members for thirteen episodes wouldn’t be all that entertaining…
Luckily – and in a move that makes you realise just how carefully Marvel and Netflix are planning things out – there was a short teasing scene toward the end of Daredevil season 2. The Punisher returns to his family home to burn it down, but not before removing a CD marked ‘MICRO’ from behind a photo. Add on top of this that there are hints around connections between Frank’s military career and his family being killed, and there ought to be enough potential to tap for a full series.
So yes, colour us excited here at Geek Pride. Those colours of course would have to be black and white, though…
