8 Things We Want To See In Marvel And Netflix’s Punisher Spinoff

By now, you've no doubt realized for yourselves that The Punisher is arguably the best thing about season two of Daredevil. As a result, those rumours about a solo series starring Jon Bernthal as the vigilante will likely be confirmed any day now, and there are a lot of reasons to be excited about that. However, while Frank may have made for a great supporting character in Matt Murdock's series, do those two failed big screen outings prove that he's still not ready to go at it alone? Well, in the hands of Marvel, you know that his own show would probably work out pretty well, and fans of his comic book exploits will know that there are a lot of very different directions that it could ultimately head in. So, with all of that in mind, how exactly should Marvel go about crafting a solo series for the anti-hero? Here, you'll find eight things we hope to see on the show, with a focus on the storylines and moments from the source material which are worthiest of being a part of whatever his future on Netlflix ends up looking like..... 8) Daredevil The relationship between Matt Murdock and Frank Castle has been fascinating to see play out in season two of Daredevil, and while the focus in The Punisher's solo series should most definitely remain on him, it would be no bad thing for The Man Without Fear to make his presence felt for at least a couple of episodes. Furthering the relationship between the two, an appearance from the hero would bring even more attention to this series and allows for a brief diversion from whatever the overarching story will be. It's a shame that we can't throw Spider-Man into the mix, too, but more team-ups between Daredevil and The Punisher are a must and would help remind viewers that these characters live in the same corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 7) Superhuman Threats Grounding the adventures of a character like The Punisher makes sense, but there are only so many times we can watch Frank Castle gun down crooks. Taking a B or C List super-villain from the comics for him to square off against at some point would push Frank to his limits and changes the dynamic of his series in a very interesting and unique way. One recent comic book starring the vigilante saw him pitted against a new version of The Vulture in a fight which left him badly wounded and covered in bandages for several issues. It was awesome, especially as witnessing the lasting consequences of that battle made it clear that Frank had been through the wringer and that there are real consequences to a normal guy engaging a threat like that. 6) The Beard This may seem like a strange request, but just like Rick's beard in The Walking Dead developed a cult following, so too did The Punisher's not too long ago. With a combination of that beard and an eyepatch (which came as a result of the aforementioned battle with The Vulture), Frank looked like an even more badass Solid Snake, and it makes sense that he wouldn't necessarily shave. After all, it's a decent enough way of hiding his identity when the cops are trying to track him down, and let's face it: who has time to shave when you're cutting a bloody path through the worst bad guys New York City has to offer? This not making it into The Punisher's show wouldn't be the end of the world, but there are a lot of fans who would definitely appreciate it. 5) "In The Beginning" When it comes to the direction The Punisher's show should take, there are a lot of different comic book arcs Marvel could turn to for inspiration. One of the best is, of course, Garth Ennis' Punisher MAX run, with "In The Beginning" standing out as being particularly well suited for the small screen. When his ally Microchip betrays Frank to the CIA, they attempt to recruit him for an "outside the law" strike force used to hunt down America's enemies. Refusing to be used by the government, Frank ends up being pitted against both them and the Mafia in an epic war. With Jessica Jones teasing us with shady government organizations last year, this storyline could also be used as a way of cleverly tying The Punisher to yet another member of The Defenders. 4) Jigsaw We got a surprisingly faithful take on Jigsaw in Punisher: War Zone, with The Wire's Dominic West doing a decent job in a very average movie. For those unfamiliar with the character, Gangster Billy "The Beaut" Russo was known for his good looks before a chance meeting with Frank Castle resulted in him being sent face first through a glass window, something which pretty much tore his face to pieces and left him looking like...well, a jigsaw. Already pretty unhinged, Billy made it his sole mission to take out The Punisher in order to get revenge, and the two have clashed on almost countless occasions over the years. When you think about what Marvel has done with the likes of The Kingpin and The Purple Man, you have to believe their take on Jigsaw would be pretty damn amazing. 3) "FrankenCastle" Now, there's no denying that this one happening is fairly unlikely, but it sure would be a lot of fun to see if Marvel could find a way to make it work. When Norman Osborn sent his Dark Wolverine after Frank, The Punisher ended up quite literally being sliced to pieces, but things took a shocking turn when The Legion of Monsters got their hands on his remains. Resurrecting him as "FrankenCastle," the vigilante suddenly had a very new and bizarre status quo as an undead force of nature. With The Hand playing a role in season two of Daredevil (bear in mind that they can resurrect the dead), there's a chance we could see some sort of version of this on the small screen, even if it's ultimately not quite as trippy and weird as what the comic books did. 2) Ma Gnucci "Welcome Back Frank" redefined The Punisher's role in the Marvel Universe, and Ma Gnucci was a very interesting choice of villain. An elderly woman in control of a very powerful family of mobsters, she ended up becoming obsessed with the vigilante when a confrontation in the Central Park Zoo led to her having her arms AND legs torn off. Giving Frank an enemy like this to square off against would be great, and a lead female villain would be a nice change of pace for a comic book adaptation. Plus, Ma would be worth bringing to life on the small screen for their final confrontation alone. In a very darkly funny and twisted moment, The Punisher punted the vengeful quadruple amputee into a burning building in order to finish her off once and for all. 1) Rachel Cole-Alves Rachel Cole was a US Marine fresh back from two tours in Afghanistan who witnessed the murder of her husband Daniel Alves just hours after their wedding in a shootout which also left each of their families dead. Like Frank Castle, she too wanted revenge on the mobsters responsible for killing her loved ones, and actually ended up working alongside him for a time as a female Punisher of sorts. This is a story which could easily be expanded on in this series, and adds a very interesting dynamic to the character's adventures. That aside though, and Rachel is a fascinating character who is more than just a carbon copy of Frank. Plus, it would be awesome to see a strong female presence in this series, and Rachel is easily the perfect choice for that.