"Daredevil" season 2 is kicking things up a notch by adding one of the most popular Marvel characters: Frank Castle a.k.a. the Punisher. According to Marvel, the Punisher is going to be portrayed by none other than Jon Bernthal, famous for portraying Shane Walsh in the first two seasons of AMC's "The Walking Dead" TV series.
Frank Castle was once a law enforcement officer who became a ruthless vigilante after the mob killed his whole family. Unlike most Marvel heroes, he has no superpowers and relies solely on guns, wits, and ruthless perseverance. Also, unlike most heroes, the Punisher never hesitates to kill someone.
It is still unknown if the Punisher is going to be working together with Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil or if he will serve as some form of anti-hero or even as an antagonist now that Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin is behind bars for the time being.
"Jon Bernthal brings an unmatched intensity to every role he takes on, with a potent blend of power, motivation and vulnerability that will connect with audiences," explained Marvel's Head of Television Jeph Loeb. "Castle's appearance will bring dramatic changes to the world of Matt Murdock and nothing will be the same."
Bernthal also appeared in "The Wolf of Wall Street," "Fury," and the short lived series "Mob City."
According to a report from Collider, all of the Marvel TV actors do have a contract that states they may appear in future Marvel films because the Marvel Cinematic Universe combines the films and televisions as one setting, so whoever portrays Daredevil and Punisher on Netflix must be the same guys to play the characters in the films.
However, this doesn't mean that there are plans for a "Punisher" film or a "Daredevil" film down Marvel's pipeline. The contracts only exist as a means of staying consistent with the world that they've built.
"Daredevil" season 2 premieres in 2016.
