James R | On 24, Jan 2019

The Punisher showrunner still has hopes for Season 3, teasing his ideas for a possible third outing for Marvel’s antihero, even thought they seem unlikely.

After his scene-stealing appearance in Marvel’s Daredevil, Jon Bernthal reprised his role as Frank Castle for a solo outing on Netflix, in which the former solider went on the hunt for revenge amid a wider conspiracy. This month, he returned for a second season, but while the first arrived at a point when Marvel and Netflix’s Hell’s Kitchen universe was expanding, Season 2 arrives at a point when the whole world is coming crashing down: Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage have all been cancelled, with Castle and Jessica Jones (already in production on Season 3) the only ones left standing.

The cancellations have followed Disney’s announcement of plans to launch its own streaming service, with TV series featuring MCU characters such as Loki and Scarlet Witch, but there has been no official word on a link between that and the decision made for Netflix’s Marvel shows to stop. Nonetheless, showrunner Steve Lightfoot is still hoping that a third run might happen, speaking to Comic Book about his plans for what would happen to The Punisher next.

Season 2 was a contained story, but closed with Castle fully adopting The Punisher identity and appearance.

“That final image was meant to say, very much, ‘Look, Frank is now The Punisher’. And hopefully people were like, ‘I can’t wait for season three, you know, come back and see what the hell he’s up to’,” Lightfoot explained.

“Because I’m so fully involved in the show, usually what happens for me is I finish the last one,” he added. “I’ve got a really good idea about what would be next. I’ve got a very good idea about what Season Three is, I’ve got an idea for it I’m really excited about, which Marvel know about and they’re also excited about. We just obviously hope we get the chance to go make it.”

Season 3 would see Castle remain in New York City, he continued: “I think, the idea I have is very much back in the city. The theme is seeing Frank, now he has fully embraced the mantle of The Punisher, where that takes him and what problems that throws up for him as he follows that path. I can’t say much more than that really. But yeah, we’re hoping we get the good word and we go ahead and dive back in.”

Bernthal, meanwhile, has told Variety that he is “at peace” with the possibility of the show being cancelled.

“I know the reality of the situation and I’m at peace with it,” he said in a recent interview.

Never seen The Punisher? Read our guide to why you should give Marvel’s least heroic hero a chance.

 

The Punisher Season 1 and 2 are available on Netflix UK, as part of an £9.99 monthly subscription.

Add to Watchlist