Ever since Daredevil got the dark and gritty treatment on the small screen, fans have been clamoring for other street-level heroes to get the same thing. Unsurprisingly, the one hero who nearly everyone could agree deserved a place in the Netflix showroom was Frank Castle, gunman extraordinaire.
Luckily, the good folks at Marvel heard what we wanted, and threw him into the second season of Daredevil. The Punisher we saw this year was unlike any incarnation of the character we've seen so far. He was brutal. He was compelling. He was intense. But most of all, he was human. Equipped with a tragic backstory and fan-pleasing costume, it was hard not to love the newest addition to the MCU. And that's why Marvel has officially announced —
The Punisher
EW has just confirmed that Marvel recently ordered a spin-off, focusing on Daredevil Season 2's greatest asset. Few details were revealed about the upcoming show, but Hannibal writer and executive producer Steve Lightfoot will serve as showrunner (talk about the perfect choice, right?). And although it's not confirmed, it's implied that we'll be seeing Punisher in his own show before The Defenders.
Nothing But Love For The New Show From Execs, Too
Just to get a show like this together, there have to be hundreds of people all in agreement. Luckily, they were! And there was nothing but love and compliments from the higher-ups:
We want to thank the fans who are clamoring for more of Jon’s stunning and powerful performance as Frank Castle from ‘Marvel’s Daredevil.' Now combined with Showrunner Steve Lightfoot’s compelling writing, we’re thrilled to bring 'Marvel’s The Punisher' to Netflix. — Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer & Head of Marvel Television
Jon hooked our global audience with his performance as Frank Castle from the moment he stepped on screen in 'Marvel’s Daredevil,' and we are looking forward to seeing more of him in this role under the vision of Steve Lightfoot. — Cindy Holland, Netflix Vice President of Original Content
For me, the complexity and unpredictability of Frank Castle make him an incredibly compelling character and I couldn’t be more excited to dive into his world. After watching Jon’s performance in ‘Marvel’s Daredevil’ I could not be more excited to be working with him to further develop and progress the story of this antihero in a show of his own. – Steve Lightfoot, Executive Producer and Showrunner
And to Top It All Off, There Was A Brief Teaser
The Punisher is back. Locked and loaded.https://t.co/nGKCa2taEV
— Netflix US (@netflix) April 29, 2016
The logo is perfect. Enough said.
Conclusion
Basically, we're getting a Punisher TV show. It'll be on Netflix (a.k.a. Marvel geek heaven), it has the perfect showrunner (one who comes from a bloody, violent show), the perfect lead in Jon Bernthal, and will have the Marvel stamp that we've all grown accustomed to seeing. While we don't know any plot details, supporting cast members, or timings just yet, the news is sure to trickle over the next few months.
What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!