Few TV cancellations have stung as hard as Netflix's one-by-one takedown of its Marvel superhero series, including Daredevil, which got axed after its critically acclaimed third season. While we've likely spent our last moments with a majority of those shows' characters, Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page is one of few who's lucky enough to be returning to the small screen soon, as she was confirmed to be a part of The Punisher Season 2.
During The Punisher's Season 2 set visit in New York earlier this year, showrunner Steve Lightfoot spoke with CinemaBlend and other outlets, where he dropped the info-bomb that Deborah Ann Woll would be reprising her journalist role at least one more time on Netflix. In his words:
We were shooting while Daredevil was shooting. Deborah has a huge part in that season. Deborah was very busy, and I didn't know when I could get her into the show this time around. In the world of [The Punisher], that relationship continues to be very important.
So there you have it, fans. We may not know exactly why Karen will pop back into Frank Castle's life for The Punisher's sophomore season, or how often we'll get to see her, but discovering she'll be there at all is a half a victory at least.
Considering the two shows' production schedules coincided, it sounds like The Punisher won't feature Woll quite as heavily as Daredevil did, so I'm hoping her scenes with Frank (and whoever else) are as interesting and emotionally coherent as possible. I suppose her return's true impact could possibly connect with where The Punisher Season 2 fits into the overall timeline of Netflix's Marvel series.
If Frank's latest adventures take place after Matt's recovery and subsequent fight to take down Wilson Fisk anew, then it can be presumed that Karen, Foggy and Matt are in good graces again, with their plan to take another crack at maintaining a legal firm. If that's the case, then she would be probably exude more positive and optimistic energy to oppose Frank's presumed dourness.
That may not be the case if The Punisher is set earlier, though, when Karen is still at a loss over Matt's fate, or if this series bypasses Daredevil storylines altogether. She and Frank are not exactly the most uplifting buddies, but they do fit well together. Daredevil's third season delivered a standalone episode that finally showcased some Karens darkest skeletons, including murdering her druggie boyfriend and accidentally killing her younger brother in a car accident. It's the kind of tortured existence Frank knows all too well.
Of all the Marvel TV characters that could have returned following the cancellations of Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage, Karen obviously makes the most sense. She first bonded with Frank Castle back in Daredevil Season 2, where Jon Bernthal's vengeful military vet was first introduced. Deborah Ann Woll then later appeared in a few episodes of The Punisher's debut season, which sparked some fans to call for the characters to eventually get romantic.
That somewhat awkward request could possibly get rewarded in Season 2, now that we know Frank and Karen will likely be sharing some screen time. Of course, most fans are speculating that Netflix will be cancelling The Punisher soon after Season 2 debuts, so this will probably be Karen and Frank's last shot at making sparks fly. At least until someone makes a Karen Page spinoff.
The Punisher still doesn't have an announced release date set, though Netflix confirmed the action series will be premiering in January 2019, so stay tuned for more details on that front. And don't forget about everything else that's hitting the midseason TV schedule in the near future.
