With Comic-Con right around the corner, just about every comic book character on TV will be thrust into the spotlight to give fans peeks at what's to come in the fall and beyond. But while Marvel's growing TV slate is represented by Inhumans, The Gifted, The Defenders and more, not much has been said about possibly the most anticipated project of them all, Netflix's The Punisher series. Thankfully, the show dropped an official poster ahead of SDCC, and it's a bloody good time.
Sure, it's not the most inventive poster, and it's not giving us any big insights into how balanced Frank Castle's mental capacities will be with the season kicks off. But it's giving Punisher fans exactly what we want to see: John Bernthal holding a giant gun while wearing the signature skull attire that's partially covered in blood. The fact that it isn't a photo-realistic shot isn't even that much of a bummer, largely because this is Netflix official. As opposed to the plethora of fan-made posters and images over the months.
Because of Daredevil Season 2, we all thankfully know just how badass Jon Bernthal is in the role, as well as what he looks like busting skulls and shooting up the streets of New York City. So really, getting to see him in the character's proper comic book costuming is arguably as anticipated as anything else involved in Netflix's Marvel universe. This poster, which comes from EW, isn't the end goal, obviously, but it's certainly a sweet rest stop along the way.
It's more than possible that something bigger will get revealed at Comic-Con next week, when The Defenders cast and creators take the biggest stage in fandom, with Jon Bernthal reportedly in tow. It's obviously unclear if he'll actually be taking part in any Defenders episodes -- though not altogether unlikely -- and Netflix might not have wanted to put a full Punisher panel together without any kind of big promotional pushes prior to SDCC's arrival. That said, Netflix could very well put out the first Punisher trailer on Monday, giving the show a much heavier presence next weekend.
The Punisher sadly doesn't have an official premiere date confirmed at Netflix, but there are hints that we might get it before Christmas, even. While waiting to hear more about it, don't forget that The Defenders will debut on Friday, August 18, at 12:01 a.m. PT. For everything else that's soon hitting primetime and the streaming friendly morning hours, head to our summer premiere schedule.
