Given how amazing the first season of the Marvel/Netflix series Daredevil was, the second season is going to arrive with high expectations - but the studios are definitely prepared to up the ante. How do we know? Because it's been officially announced that the show will be introducing the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of Frank Castle - a.k.a. The Punisher - and he will be played by none other than former Walking Dead star Jon Bernthal.
This incredibly awesome news comes to us directly from Marvel, noting that that the character is a "vigilante who aims to clean up New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen by any means necessary, no matter how lethal the results." It's not entirely clear at this point how the popular Marvel Comics anti-hero will fit into the larger arc that is being planned for Daredevil Season 2, but the creatives behind the show certainly seem excited to have him on-board. Said Jeph Loeb, the Head of Marvel Television, about the exciting development,
Jon Bernthal brings an unmatched intensity to every role he takes on, with a potent blend of power, motivation and vulnerability that will connect with audiences. Castle’s appearance will bring dramatic changes to the world of Matt Murdock and nothing will be the same.
To go along with this announcement, Marvel also unveiled a brand new logo for Daredevil, which it seems Punisher has added his own touch to:
Bernthal first gained a big fan following thanks to his turn as the immensely shady/crazy Shane Walsh on The Walking Dead, and has since been mixing it up with work on both the big screen and the small. He's appeared in films like Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street and David Ayer's Fury, and also had a run on the 2013 Frank Darabont-created show Mob City. He will next be seen in the new indie dramedy Me and Earl And The Dying Girl - which will be out in theaters this weekend - and recently wrapped production on The Accountant - a new action movie starring Ben Affleck.
Celebrating the new role, Jon Bernthal took to his personal Twitter account this afternoon and posted the following message:
It will probably be a while until we learn the full extent of The Punisher's part in Daredevil Season 2, though the wording of Marvel's casting announcement sets up a rather easy contrast between the titular character and this new arrival. Frank Castle has absolutely no problem killing every low-life criminal he comes across, but to this point Charlie Cox's Daredevil has refused to cross that line. This likely means that the Man Without Fear is going to take serious issue with the way that Punisher does business, and it could lead to a fantastic conflict in the show.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Doug Petrie and DaVinci's Demon's Marco Ramirez are serving as showrunners on the second season of Daredevil, which will likely be going into production later this year in preparation for launch next year. Are you excited about the Jon Bernthal-as-Punisher addition? Hit the comments with your thoughts!
