Jon Bernthal believes fans will hate his version of Punisher within two episodes of Daredevil Season 2 – and that’s the entire point.
Daredevil Season 2 is arriving on Netflix in just over a month, which is reason enough to be excited. But this season will also introduce Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, easily one of the most anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe additions in some time. That said, Bernthal has warned that his version of Punisher isn’t one audiences will like at first. In fact, this Frank Castle is so “completely unapologetic” that most viewers will probably despise him by the second episode.
“I think the way he’s introduced … you can lose the audience by Episode Two,” Bernthal told CBR. “They could just be like, ‘No matter what happens with this man before we know anything about him, his actions in Episode One and Two, I can’t get behind. In this day and age with everything that’s going on, I can’t get behind this man.'”
Introducing Punisher as an unlikable character certainly lines up with Daredevil showrunner Doug Petrie’s previous comments. The tricky part, however, will be the rest of Punisher’s story arc, which looks at what brought Frank Castle to this point. “I love that because then my goal, and the team’s goal, is to win them back and explain it,” Bernthal continues. “And whether you can get behind him or not, you sure will understand him. You’ll understand why he’s doing what he’s doing. Then, I think if we’re lucky and if done well … we’ll force the audience to ask questions about themselves, about their own behavior, about the world.”
Sadly, Bernthal couldn’t share many other details, including which specific comic book Punisher he’ll be adapting. (Although he does admit Garth Ennis’ Punisher MAX resonated with him personally.) Either way, it absolutely implies Daredevil Season 2 will deal in the moral ambiguities which made Punisher such a compelling character. We’ll find out for ourselves when it premieres on March 18, 2016.
Source: Comic Book Resources
