Marvel may never shake questions of gun violence around The Punisher, but the Netflix spinoff is taking aim at a new release. A second trailer for the Defenders-adjacent drama delves into Frank’s past and sets an official November premiere date.
If you were hoping The Punisher arrived guns-blazing, head-banging and Bernthal-brooding, today’s your day. Marvel’s Netflix spinoff released an action-packed first full trailer, raiding the music library once more to the sweet sounds of Metallica.
This year will mark the first in which Marvel schedules three Netflix premieres, including Iron Fist in March, The Defenders in August, and Daredevil spinoff The Punisher. Marvel has yet to define the latter’s premiere beyond 2017, but a Punisher director may have given us a fall premiere.
Netflix and Marvel have understandably concentrated promotion on August’s The Defenders, but The Punisher spinoff is still slated for 2017. That’s abundantly clear with our first look at a new poster, as shared by the cast.
Marvel’s Punisher spinoff is still something of a mystery; given an ambiguous 2017 release date around The Defenders, without any confirmation of episode order. At the very least, we may now have a look at the cast and key art, courtesy of a new Quesada-style poster.
We’re still not entirely clear on how The Punisher managed to start filming without any real casting announcements, or where Marvel’s gun-toting antihero might fit in The Defenders, but a bit of crossover is to be expected. Just as Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle emerged from Daredevil, the spinoff series returns the favor in a new set photo appearance.
As good as many of the Marvel movies have been — and they’ve been very, very good — perhaps my favorite part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is its complicated web of secrecy and lies. Each cast member has to be prepared to talk about Marvel movies at a moment’s notice, to speak to the entire design of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, without giving away proprietary information or giving entertainment reporters the wrong kind of soundbite. If Disney were smart, they would launch an Aaron Sorkin-produced television series about the politics of press junkets. I would watch the heck out of that.
As with Daredevil himself, Jon Bertnthal’s Frank Castle didn’t properly adopt the mantle of The Punisher until late in Season 2, but might the character change his ways in time for the confirmed spinoff? Bernthal himself says the Frank Castle we followed through Daredevil was very much not “The Punisher” as fans know him, though that could certainly change.
It didn’t take for the hype of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher to generate talk of his own Daredevil spinoff, though Marvel and Netflix were quick to keep expectations down, even as Season 2 clearly set the character up for his own adventure. Now, Frank Castle’s war journal is officially open, as Marvel confirms a spinoff, showrunner and all.
This is a crazy looking ultrasound picture for a baby. The baby in the picture looks like the skull logo for none other than Marvel Comics character Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher! What do you think? We have a side-by-side comparison after the jump.