Out of Netflix’s four superhero staples – namely Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist – The Punisher has more in common with Daredevil than Matt Murdock’s fellow Defenders.
Granted, the Frank Castle solo series is poised to forgo any and all supernatural elements in favor of a brutal, revenge-fuelled drama, but it’s fair to say that Marvel’s latest spinoff owes a great debt to the Man Without Fear. Not only did Daredevil season 2 offer a platform for Jon Bernthal’s brooding anti-hero, but it also fostered two deeply compelling relationships: Castle and Matt Murdock, along with Castle and Karen Page, who became one of the few people capable of getting underneath the Punisher’s steel exterior.
And that unexpected chemistry wasn’t lost on Steve Lightfoot. In anticipation of The Punisher‘s upcoming premiere, the series showrunner revealed to Mashable that Page, played once again by Deborah Ann Woll, wasn’t always supposed to cross over into Frank Castle’s solo series. But upon viewing Daredevil season 2, Lightfoot fought for her involvement.
I asked to have her, because she and Frank [Castle] are so great. Frank is a closed-off military guy, and this is a woman he treats like an equal more than anyone else.
Broadly speaking, the 13-part drama also heralds an opportunity to deep dive into Frank’s murky past, and how he went on to become a different breed of anti-hero. Grief and the devastating effects of loss are two pillars of The Punisher‘s arc, and that’s something that the showrunner isn’t taking lightly.
This is an opportunity for me to write something in the action [genre], but also touch on issues around soldiers and veterans. Grief is something we all can identify with, and it’s about this guy coming back from war dealing with grief.
All 13 episodes of The Punisher will be available to stream from November 17th, and aside from a last-minute delay, the recent Las Vegas shooting has in no way affected the Marvel drama. A city-wide conspiracy is about to unfold, then, and below you’ll see a new character poster dedicated to Karen Page.
