At the end of The Punisher‘s first season, Frank Castle got revenge on his former best friend Billy Russo by violently ramming his head into a mirror. The last time we saw the character, he was comatose with his face in bits, which seemed to promise that he’d return in season 2 as the comic book villain Jigsaw, Castle’s nemesis. Sure enough, set videos have seemingly confirmed actor Ben Barnes’ comeback. But he might not be the only villain from the hero’s past who’ll turn up again in the show’s sophomore run.
Remember Finn Cooley, the Irish mob boss who went after Frank as revenge for the Punisher wiping out all of the Kitchen Irish gang? He was a minor antagonist on the TV show, but he’s a recurring foe of Castle’s in the comics. Somewhat like Jigsaw, he has a hideous, skinless face as well, which was potentially set up when Frank shot him in the face at point blank range.
So, why do we think Cooley might be back in season 2? Well, actor Tony Curran has taken to Twitter to share that he’s spending all summer in New York City. The reason he gives is that he’s working on season 6 of Showtime’s Ray Donovan. Curiously, though, no other sources have reported that he’s joining the series. Is it possible he’s creating an elaborate ruse then to cover up the fact that he’s actually in NYC for The Punisher?
Probably not, as it seems a bit far-fetched to say that he isn’t in Ray Donovan at all. Still, the fact that the actor’s working in New York at the same time that The Punisher season 2 is filming in the city would make it pretty easy for him to return as Cooley. We’re not sure if it would be overkill to have two disfigured villains in the same season, but Cooley and Russo could form a deadly duo that would prove a true challenge for Frank Castle to defeat.
