Season 2 of Daredevil and the Marvel Cinematic Universe just got a lot more interesting. The latest news from the Netflix series has absolutely got to cross over into the films. Jon Bernthal has been cast as The Punisher in Daredevil — a popular Marvel comics antihero whose given name is Frank Castle.
I love this news. Not only did the actor prove his anti-hero chops as Shane in The Walking Dead, but I just saw Bernthal recently in an early screening of Me And Earl And The Dying Girl, which showed me a different side of the actor and his ability to command the screen. He plays the coolest High School teacher that you probably had, and delivers the poignant message of the film when you least expect it. Jon Bernthal is a movie actor, having appeared in The Wolf of Wall Street, Fury, and Snitch as well. Captain America: Civil War may be crowded at the moment, but the MCU should take advantage of Bernthal and bring that signature skull to the big screen.
In the comics, Frank Castle is a vigilante and former Marine who seems like the twisted mirror image of Matt Murdock. He doesn't have any super powers, but he is also aiming to end crime in New York City. However, while Murdock keeps to a code and doesn't like to kill, Castle doesn't seem to mind as much. The Punisher and Daredevil share similar views about taking the law into their own hands, with different "executions," pun absolutely intended. Frank Castle also had a wife and children who were murdered by mobsters in Central Park. This incident sparked his form of justice. Maybe I still have Fury Road stuck in my eyeballs, but he reminds me a little of Mad Max. He's also very careful not to hurt civilians, which should the Avengers after the end of Age of Ultron.
However, here's the potential problem with introducing The Punisher in the second season of a Netflix series, though. Frank Castle is not a secondary character. He's a force. The Punisher has already been the subject of several films and the character served with the Secret Avengers during Marvel's Civil War as well as several other super hero teams over the years.
I understand that Daredevil, along with Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and A.K.A. Jessica Jones are all leading towards a Defenders team-up series. Though Castle won't have his own solo series, there is the potential for The Punisher to appear in some or all of the Netflix shows. In an ideal world, we'd see all of these characters take up arms in The Avengers: Infinity War, but their worlds are contained for now.
Why am I aiming specifically for The Punisher's return to the big screen? On the comics, Frank Castle has also teamed up multiple times with Spider-Man too. At the very least, I think would make a good entry for Jon Bernthal into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The latest Spider-Man reboot has got to do something different. How many times can we watch Uncle Ben die without getting bored? Teaming Peter Parker up with a grumpy ex-Marine is one way to do it. Plus, the aftermath of the Chitauri invasion from The Avengers can only tie the Netflix world to the cinematic world for so long. It's hard for me to believe that Peter Parker is doing his thing over in Queens and isn't even curious as to what this Daredevil guy is all about over in Hell's Kitchen.
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