'Daredevil' Season 2 Just Cast The Punisher

The Punisher is one of my favorite comic books, but it has not fared well when it comes to big screen adaptations. Part of this is because the overtly violent, morally questionable (or repugnant if you like) stance makes any adaptation a hard-R by necessity. Since Daredevil became a hit on Netflix, with a darker, grittier tone rather than the bright fun of Marvel Cinematic Universe, many have wondered if the character could show up there. And now we know he will, and who is going to play him. Get more after the jump.

Marvel announced that The Walking Dead alum Jon Bernthal has been cast as Frank Castle, the alter ego of the vicious vigilante. He isn’t getting his own series just yet (fingers crossed for that), but he will appear in season 2 of Daredevil when it hits next year. Despite my less than enthusiastic reaction to his run as Shane on The Walking Dead, I like Bernthal, and he’s a solid fit for this role, as he’s got a grip on playing the stern, stoic action types.

The Punisher and Matt Murdock/Daredevil come into conflict on a regular basis in the comics, as they have very different ways of dealing with the criminal element they both fight, and that should lead to some fun onscreen battles. Punisher is just one of the new characters that will show up in Season 2 of Daredevil. We’ve heard rumors that Bullseye could make an appearance and that casting is already underway for Elektra, both of whom would be awesome additions.

I mostly just hope that, for once, we’ll get the Punisher how he is in the comics rendered on screen. There have been three tries, and while each has gotten a little bit better, none of them have quite arrived where they need to be just yet. With the established tone, and the willingness to get brutal and bloody, a Netflix series seems like the best home for the character. While we don’t know how big a role he’ll play in Daredevil, let’s hope this is a steppingstone to a series of his own.