The Punisher season 2 ends on a whopper of a final shot, as Frank Castle – in full Punisher gear – bursts into a meeting between two gangs with all guns blazing. It’s a scene that could have been pulled straight from the comics, and acts as the perfect way to end the season and perhaps even the series, as the pervading sense is that the show is due to be cancelled, much like its Marvel brothers Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage.Â
While speaking with EW, the topic of The Punisher‘s uncertain future came up and showrunner Steve Lightfoot admitted that he intended the final shot of season 2 to merely whet fans’ appetites for season 3, not cap off the whole series.
“We were finished before any of this started happening. I left [season 2] on that final shot that was just meant to [make people go], ‘Wow, I can’t wait to see season 3.’ That was it.”
That said, it doesn’t sound like Lighthfoot has any regrets if this does turn out to be the final run. He explained that he approached both seasons as if they were the last so he wouldn’t have done anything differently.
“It’s like any show — if you’ve been in this business long enough, we’ve all worked on shows that got canceled that you wish hadn’t. I just hope we made a great show.… My philosophy is always make every season like it could be your last. Don’t save anything for next season, even if that means you’ve painted yourself into a corner. But make every season the best it can be, and hopefully it speaks for itself.”
Marvel Television president Jeph Loeb was then asked more generally about the situation between Marvel and Netflix. He was understandably tight-lipped about things, but his response made it clear that it’s the streaming service’s decision to end these shows and definitely not his.
“I’d rather not get into the specifics, other than we were and continue to be extremely disappointed by the decision that the network made. But when you’re in the game, that’s all you can do. Everyone has a favorite television show that has been canceled on every single network, and we just happen to be at that place right now.”
It’s important to reiterate that, at the time of writing, Netflix has made no announcement about The Punisher‘s fate. That being said, Loeb’s comments don’t exactly fill us with hope.
