'The Punisher' release date, cast news: Possible premiere in November; who will be there and who will not?
Season 2 of "Daredevil" served as the launching pad for "The Punisher," which will be having its own series on Netflix, making them the newest addition to the Marvel-Netflix super team made up of "The Defenders." Netflix has not yet announced the exact release date of the series, but Frank Castle's story is speculated to come in by November.
Following the premiere of "Iron Fist," "The Punisher" is the newest in the Marvel-Netflix line-up. Steve Lightfoot, who served as the writer and showrunner in "Hannibal," will be in charge of the show. Lightfoot has also written the first two episodes of the series. Lightfoot shared how excited he was in helming the show, especially raving about the character's complexity and unpredictability.
As for the release date, Dearbhla Walsh, who directed an episode for the program, revealed that it will not air until November. It does make sense, as "The Defenders" will be premiering this month, and the first season of "Jessica Jones" premiered on Nov. 1 as well. Netflix also happens to premiere shows right before Thanksgiving season for people to binge-watch over the holiday.
When it comes to who will be joining Jon Bernthal in "The Punisher" series, fans should not expect Rosario Dawson's Clare Temple to make an appearance. In an interview with Collider, Dawson confirmed that Clare Temple will not be in "The Punisher" for a different reason. Dawson explained that it was a challenge to get everyone together for "The Defenders" but schedules proved to be a hurdle.
However, Deborah Ann Woll, who plays Karen Page in "Daredevil," will be sticking around for Frank Castle in his series. Given the chemistry between the two characters, it might not come as a surprise that she will be in his orbit. Ben Barnes will be playing Billy Russo, Frank Castle's trusted friend, who ends up turning into one of the anti-hero's villains named Jigsaw in the comics. Other stars confirmed to join are Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Amber Rose Revah, Daniel Webber, Jason R. Moore, Paul Schulze, Jaime Ray Newman, and Michael Nathanson.
