The latest MARVEL Netflix series, The Punisher, features Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal)–who uses lethal methods to fight criminals as the vigilante who calls himself “the Punisher.” This 13-episode series is a spin-off of MARVEL’s successful Netflix Daredevil series. Unlike Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, or Iron Fist–the other MARVEL Netflix superheroes–The Punisher doesn’t have any super powers. He’s just really good at violence.
Frank Castle served in the U.S. military and excelled at hand-to-hand combat and weapons. When Castle’s wife, daughter, and son are murdered, he goes on a rampage to avenge their deaths. In this new series, Castle discovers a deeper, darker conspiracy that led to his family’s execution. Steve Lightfoot is the series showrunner. Frank Castle takes a licking but keeps on ticking. If you’re in the mood for conspiracies and violence, The Punisher lights up the Bad Guys. GRADE: B+
Next on my Netflix list after I finish Longmire. Unfortunately I have never liked Bernthal in anything.
Steve, I think Bernthal projects just enough menace in THE PUNISHER.
After watching the Punisher segments of season two of DAREDEVIL, I said no way do I want to watch an entire series about this guy endlessly killing people. But a review the other day made it sound interesting enough that Jackie does want to try it, so we’ll see how it goes.
Jeff, mostly THE PUNISHER is about conspiracies…punctuated by violence.
You’re really a Marvel & DC guys these days, George. They are dragging up the old comics, though they have probably re-launched it, these days, trying to put out anything. These (except Daredevil) are second and third tier “heroes”, and it seems a stretch to make a series of them. There’s enough violence on TV already, every trailer for every non-sitcom is infested with it, that this seems unneeded and unnecessary. No, thanks.
Rick, Disney owns MARVEL now and needs to feed Netflix and its own cable network. Just about every MARVEL and DC character will be monetized.