‘The Punisher’ Release Time: When And Where To Watch Marvel’s New Drama

Fans have been waiting over a year to see “Marvel’s The Punisher,” and some will want to be first to see it. That means they’ll need to pull an all-nighter.

All episodes of “The Punisher” Season 1 will be released on Netflix at 3 a.m. EST. West Coast viewers won’t have to stay up as late to catch the premiere. They’ll get to see it at 12 a.m. PST.

Viewers can only catch the series on Netflix. If you’ve managed to avoid subscribing until now, it’s easy to get started. Free trials are available for new users for the first 30 days, and after that, plans start from $7.99 per month. Subscribers can watch on Netflix’s website, apps on their mobile devices or on TV through their SmartTV, Blu-ray player, Apple TV or similar devices.

“The Punisher” is the latest Marvel series to hit Netflix, and the third to premiere on the streaming platform this year. The series follows Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), the vigilante who doesn’t have a problem killing the criminals wreaking havoc in New York City. The show follows the veteran, who was first introduced on “Daredevil,” as he discovers that those who killed his family are part of a much larger operation. Frank, also known as the Punisher, is determined to stop this criminal operation.

Although the new show is connected to all of the “Defenders” shows, don’t expect much crossover. This is the first Marvel TV show on Netflix that doesn’t feature Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson), but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any reference to the sister shows. Karen Paige (Deborah Ann Woll), who developed a connection with Frank on “Daredevil,” will play a role in the series.

As previously reported, “The Punisher” will be different from Marvel’s other Netflix series in that there aren’t really any science fiction or fantasy aspects.

“We are stripping down every supernatural element,” star Jon Bernthal told Entertainment Weekly in September. “This show is different. It looks different. Frank is a character rooted in the most basic human emotions… He’s a comic-book character, but he doesn’t fly, he doesn’t have X-ray vision. He’s an unbelievably skilled soldier who’s been very, very angry and very, very hurt.”

“The Punisher” isn’t the only Marvel TV series debuting within the next couple weeks. On Nov. 21, “Marvel’s Runaways” will premiere on Hulu, Netflix’s competitor. The drama follows a group of teens who discover their parents are evil. Meanwhile, the first Marvel TV show, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” will return to ABC on Dec. 1.