Introduced in Season 2 of Daredevil as Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, The Wolf of Wall Street), Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, then took off on his own for two seasons on Netflix. Although the series is already available on Disney +, we offer 5 anecdotes about this explosive project.
In 2013, Netflix and Disney announced an unprecedented deal in which four Marvel superheroes (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist) would have their individual adventures adapted for the streaming platform before coming together in a mini-event series, The Defenders.
Finally, all of these shows lasted two or even three seasons, especially Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), who introduced the other main characters of Maison des Idées in the second season: Elektra Nachios (Elodie Yung) and Famous. Frank Castle, who quickly enjoyed great popularity, which allowed him to offer his own series.
Of all the characters featured in Netflix’s Marvel series, the Punisher is the only one to be the subject of a spin-off!
Frank’s castle in Daredevil.
If Daredevil wasn’t already trying to be violent, the cursor went up with The Punisher. The series is as brutal and bloodthirsty as its protagonist, broken by the loss of his family and played by Jon Bernthal, more inhabited than ever. Certain fight and torture sequences are particularly difficult to watch, and some saw the show as gratuitous violence, which showrunner Steve Lightfoot denied at the time.
“It was clear to me that we couldn’t make a non-violent Punisher series. But we show what the price of this violence is. We make it real and we don’t take it lightly. We had to show Frank the payment so he wouldn’t run away. After each of these scenes, he suffers physically and emotionally“, he said thus Vulnerability.
With its very, very dark atmosphere, its protagonist both charismatic and terrifying – whose outbursts of violence are a way to make his pain visible – and its controlled production, The Punisher was very well received by critics and the French public. The last released series overtook Jessica Jones and others in the hearts of fans.
In December 2019, AlloCiné was even ranked as the tenth best series of the decade by internet users, ahead of Daredevil at fourteenth. Even today, the two shows are tied at 4.3/5 stars each, versus a 4 for Jessica Jones , a 3.9 for The Defenders , a 3.8 for Luke Cage , and a 3.4 for Iron Fist .

Claire Temple in Luke Cage.
The only constant in all the Marvel series produced by Netflix, Claire Temple, does not appear in The Punisher. Played by Rosario Dawson, this night nurse featured in Daredevil and who helps the superheroes on many occasions has actually been featured in every series adapted from the House of Ideas except the one centered on Frank Castle.
If anyone romantically involved with Luke Cage doesn’t make it in The Punisher, it’s the case of Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), who shares a very good relationship with the vigilante in accelerated ways.
If Jon Bernthal’s interpretation of the Punisher was celebrated by fans of the character, this is not the first actor to slip into the skin of a veteran who is ready to do anything to avenge his family. Far from it, because the anti-hero has already been allowed… THREE movies!
Dolph Lundgren played Frank Castle in The Punisher in 1989, Thomas Jane did the same in The Punisher in 2004, and Ray Stevenson portrayed the character in Punisher – Warzone, which was released straight to DVD in 2009. Three feature films that are far from masterpieces and which are in Marvel. I would definitely prefer to forget…
In 2011, a Punisher series also almost saw the light of day on FOX, but the project never materialized, making Bernthal the only Frankie Castle on the small screen.
Did you notice the hidden details in The Punisher?
Source: allocine

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.