This week alone, The Punisher has unearthed blistering trailers, blood-drenched promos and new stills designed to place Frank Castle firmly on the warpath.
But for all of the hustle and bustle, a firm release date continues to elude Jon Bernthal’s ferocious vigilante. The Punisher will debut sometime before the year’s end, that much we know, but when it comes to a specific due date, Marvel and Netflix have been unusually tight-lipped ever since its first Defender-less solo series was confirmed.
It is, of course, a carefully crafted ruse to generate interest in The Punisher, though we imagine a fair amount of Netflix subscribers already have one eye trained on Castle’s standalone saga. Such a strategy is not without its faults, though, as there’s always a risk of some anonymous insider leaking the show’s release window ahead of schedule – or, as this case with Total Film, a press outlet posting details that essentially spoil the surprise. First spotted by Reddit, the latest issue of TF claims that The Punisher will begin streaming from October 13th.
October 13th is a Friday, which aligns with Netflix’s tried-and-tested release schedule. From House of Cards to Stranger Things, the streamer’s original series would always stage their debuts on a Friday, perhaps to encourage a bout of binge-watching over the weekend. And at least according to Total Film, The Punisher is no different.
Neither Marvel nor Netflix have issued a statement at the time of writing, so take from that what you will. But after Iron Fist and The Defenders dabbled with fantastical elements and the fabled K’un-Lun earlier in 2017, here’s hoping the online streamer has saved the best for last.
All 13 episodes of The Punisher will seemingly be online from Friday, October 13th, which would be rather fitting for a character who is essentially death incarnate. Stay tuned for more.
