Punisher
Jon Bernthal believes his character on “Daredevil” hasn’t fully transformed into the Punisher. Netflix

If you thought the Punisher was introduced in “Marvel’s Daredevil” Season 2, think again. Actor Jon Bernthal began playing Frank Castle in the Netflix drama this year. Although he put on the iconic skull vest that comic book fans associate with the Punisher, Bernthal claims that viewers haven’t really seen him as the Punisher yet.

“Beating someone up to drag them into jail is different than someone who is exercising his rage on people,” Bernthal told the online site Awards Daily. “The Frank Castle you find in this story is not the Punisher. He’s reeling from the loss of his family. He’s driven by rage and is on a singular mission to find these people who took his family from him, and do it as brutally as possible.”

It certainly sounds as though the antihero fans see in “Marvel’s The Punisher” will be different when his own series comes out, but Bernthal isn’t certain which stories the spinoff will tackle. “I have no idea,” he said when asked about the show. “We are going to do a show with him next year. I’m really excited about that. We’ll have to see.”

It’s almost impossible to predict what Castle will do next, which is partly why Steve Lightfoot has signed on to executive produce the forthcoming “Punisher” series on Netflix. “For me, the complexity and unpredictability of Frank Castle make him an incredibly compelling character, and I couldn’t be more excited to dive into his world,” Lightfoot said in a statement (via Marvel). “After watching Jon’s performance in ‘Marvel’s Daredevil’ I could not be more excited to be working with him to further develop and progress the story of this antihero in a show of his own.”

Unfortunately for Marvel fans, it may be a while before they get to see Castle fully become the Punisher. Netflix’s Marvel schedule is pretty packed. “Marvel’s Iron Fist” is currently filming, and “Marvel’s Luke Cage” will premiere Sept. 30. Meanwhile, “Marvel’s Jessica Jones” Season 2 and “Marvel’s The Defenders” are also expected to get under way soon. Of course, all these shows take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so there is a possibility that the Punisher could show up sooner than expected.

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