Will The Punisher, Marvel’s Anti-Hero Be Able To Hold His Own In Netflix?

The Punisher, Marvel’s answer to a hero is just over a month away from debuting on Netflix. It stars Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle. If you’re not too familiar with Frank Castle, he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #129. In the story, Frank was set out to kill Spider-Man for his apparent murder of Norman Osborn. Of course, this isn’t what ends up happening. By the end of the story, Frank realizes that the antagonist of the story, The Jackal was looking to have him do his dirty work.

The man behind the skull: The Punisher, Marvel’s Anti-Hero

Frank became the Punisher after watching his family brutally murdered. Without any help from the authorities, he decided to take matters into his own hands and exact revenge on those responsible. This very event changed how he viewed the justice system and the criminals within it. He changed his appearance by wearing darker clothes and began wearing his trademark white skulled shirt.

Along comes Netflix

The Netflix series Daredevil made its debut in 2015. Finally, fans had the representation that they craved. The show was dark, gritty, brutal, and showcased everything that made the Frank Miller version of Daredevil so popular. It was brilliantly written, the characters were perfectly portrayed, and the actors were on point. The influx of positive reviews forced Netflix and Marvel to join again and launch the second season. In the second season sat Frank Castle. It had high hopes of delivering what the fans wanted… a true Punisher version based on Frank Miller’s work.

The show was a huge success.

Finally getting his dues

With the second season announced and knowledge that it would debut the Punisher, Marvel fans immediately began to wonder who would wear the black and white skulled shirt. Jon Bernthal was announced and fans began to debate yay or nay.

I say yay.

The contrasting views and styles made the second season what it was…amazing. Matt Murdock walked a fine line with the law in the show, whereas Frank Castle didn’t. Frank told Matt, “You hit them and they get back up. I hit them and they stay down.” This quote alone shows that Matt gives his opponents a chance to amend their wrongs and Frank…well, he doesn’t. He doesn’t give them the chance as he believes that the justice system misguided. His preference is to kill, not reason with the criminals.

While both are vigilante’s in their own rights, each chooses to go about it in a different way. This, along with all the other reasons mentioned, is what makes the show and its characters so memorable. All of this and I haven’t even begun to mention the guns…oh, the guns.

The Punisher and Netflix make a great combination

Frank and violence go together like salt and pepper. As Daredevil showed, he is a one-man wrecking crew and I expect that his first solo season will be much the same. Marvel and Netflix have got it right as they put his vicious side on display. But they’ve done so almost artistically as they blend it with what drives him to do so. At his core, he is a man saddened and angry by what has happened to him. As I watched him gun down, bludgeon, and brutalize his victims, I almost felt sorry for him. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I might just do the same if what happened to him, happened to me.

I can’t say it enough. The Punisher was one of the strongest reasons that Daredevil Season Two was so good. Jon Bernthal did a phenomenal job of giving him life. He was gritty, violent, and emotional when he needed to be. Personally, I can’t wait to see what happens in his own series.

If what happened in Daredevil is any indication of what’s to come, I say bring it on. I ask you, are you ready for the skulled vigilante to grace us with his presence?

Cheers,

Jeff