The Punisher returned to Netflix last weekend for its second and what will also be probably its last season. The streaming service has cut three out of five of its Marvel shows over the last few months, which has led many to assume that Marvel and Netflix are going their separate ways ahead of the Disney Plus launch, which will no doubt be a huge rival to the latter.
And while it’s important to note that nothing’s been confirmed just yet, things certainly aren’t looking good for Mr. Frank Castle. Aside from the fact that season 2 has a mediocre score of 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, we’re now learning of the viewing numbers for the show’s most recent run, and they certainly aren’t positive.
According to analytics firm Jumpshot, viewership for season 2 is down a whopping 40% when compared to the weekend when the first season premiered. Obviously, that’s a big drop and one that Netflix can’t ignore. Granted, most shows will see some kind of dip in between their first and second runs but 40% is pretty significant and it might just be large enough for the streaming service to bring the axe down on The Punisher.
Even looking past the numbers, it seems very likely that Frank Castle won’t live to see another day. After all, it’d be strange to keep the show around when they’ve already cancelled something like Daredevil, which found itself with tons of critical acclaim and love from the fans. But who knows? As we said above, Netflix hasn’t made any kind of announcement just yet on the future of the series.
If you ask us though, while it’s a definitely step down from the thrilling first season, the latest run of The Punisher is still worth a watch for those who enjoy Jon Bernthal’s take on the antihero and if you haven’t checked it out yet, do yourself a favor and dive in ASAP. After all, it may be the last time we ever see the actor in the role.
