Jon Bernthal Calls Playing The Punisher An Honor

The successful debut of the Punisher in the second season of Daredevil earned a strong enough fan response to warrant Netflix and Marvel giving the character his own series.

While Frank Castle’s own show isn’t set to debut until later this year, actor Jon Bernthal recently spoke with Entertainment Tonight about the opportunity to reprise the role of the lethal vigilante.

“Playing that part is definitely one of the real honors of my lifetime,” Bernthal said. “It’s a character that resonates deeply in the law enforcement community and the military and with comic book fans.”

The actor also talked about fan pressure after the critical reception of Iron Fist.

Bernthal will not be appearing in the upcoming crossover series The Defenders. Both shows had overlaps in production. Instead, he’ll be biding his time until The Punisher premieres on Netflix with what’s sure to be a bang.

The character’s origin lines up with his comic book counterpart. Frank Castle’s family was murdered by mobsters in a shootout. The veteran decided to eliminate the problem of organized crime with lethal prejudice, arming himself with an arsenal of weapons and taking to the streets.

We’ll learn more about where the Punisher’s latest campaign of violence takes him, though a recent teaser at San Diego Comic-Con revealed he’d be venturing south of the border, or at least close to it.

The Punisher will premiere on Netflix later this year.

The Punisher is based on the Marvel Comics character created by Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr., and Ross Andru. The character debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #129 in 1974. Originally meant to be a Spider-Man villain, the Punisher’s brutality resonated with fans and turned him into a cult classic. The vigilante has since starred in several series including three live-action movies: one starring Dolph Lundgren in 1989, another starring Thomas Jane in 2004, and Punisher: War Zone with Ray Stevenson in 2004.