How Fans Will Relate To Despicable ‘Punisher’

Though Marvel has yet to reveal the release date for their upcoming series but with all of the information coming out about The Punisher, fans shouldn’t be surprised if it hits Netflix anytime soon.

But the series will be different from the other superhero series on the streaming platform in that Frank Castle isn’t actually a hero. He’s not even an anti-hero. The morally bankrupt might have a war against bad folk, but his methods are considerably dubious. That doesn’t mean he’ll be the villain in his own series, though.

Speaking with SFX Magazine, writer Steve Lightfoot revealed there plan to make the character relatable despite his brutality.

“In Daredevil, he was a guy with a very simple agenda, which was revenge,” said Lightfoot. “And that was used to highlight Matt Murdock’s dilemmas. In this show we’ve had to give him dilemmas of his own. With any show, even if it’s about superheroes or whatever, you have to find things that normal people will identify with, that are everyman qualities. I’ve never been a Special Forces guy who kills 50 people, but I do know what it’s like to grieve.”

It’s a curious development for a story featuring The Punisher; many of his greatest comics treat him as an unlikeable monster, playing with the reader’s attachment to the character as a protagonist while making him unlikeable. It doesn’t seem like the series will take that kind of an approach.

“At heart, you’ve got a very tough guy who isn’t necessarily great at showing is feelings, having at some point to deal with the loss of his family,” Lightfoot said. “And that’s something everyone can identify with. We can empathize with that, if not the actions it leads to.”

Narratives can sway fans to desire heinous acts committed on the screen or on the page. We’ll see if fans are rooting for Frank Castle’s vigilante violence when the series finally debuts.


The Punisher will premiere on Netflix sometime this year.

——-

Want to win a killer Kingsman: The Golden Circle prize pack? 2 lucky winners will get the chance to win some epic Kingsman gear by clicking here or the image above! Also click here to find out when Kingsman: The Golden Circle is playing near you and pre-order your tickets for your local Regal Cinema!