'The Punisher' news: Actor Ben Barnes speaks up about his antagonist role in the Netflix series

Screengrab from the trailer for "The Punisher" showing Billy Russo YouTube/Netflix

With Netflix's "The Punisher" ending on a high note, Ben Barnes, the actor of antagonist Billy Russo in the series revisits his role alongside co-star Jon Bernthal, who plays Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher.

The 36-year-old actor, in a one-on-one phone interview with The Collider, has revealed his thoughts about the show, particularly on his role as an unconventional antagonist. According to Barnes, Russo was quite a handful since the character is a complex one and acts more like an antagonist than a straight up villain in a superhero story. Barnes added that in a way, Russo is as broken as Castle, perhaps even more so.

"Frank has obviously been through a lot, but Billy is dealing with a very traumatic childhood, the trauma of war, and the trauma that he suffers in the show, going forward. There are layers to how broken he is. Frank is certainly very damaged, but Billy is broken, even though he might come across as very together, from the get-go," explained Barnes. It can be recalled that what made Castle The Punisher was when his family was murdered in front of him. Russo, on the other hand, began his ordeal since childhood.

In "The Punisher," Russo starts out as Castle's friend, but it is then revealed in a twist that he has actually betrayed the latter, joining forces with a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official in order to dispatch Castle and fast-track his political career. What made their rivalry more complicated is that the two used to be the best of friends, with Castle even considering Russo as his "only true friend."

Russo, as Barnes admitted, is a polar opposite of Castle, being calculated instead of impulsive and savvy instead of rough. Still, Barnes owes a lot of his portrayal of Russo to Bernthal's presence, claiming that Castle's actor was an incredible leader and motivation for a lot of them on the set. Barnes hopes that he did Russo justice on the screen despite his anxiety with the role. Meanwhile, he will be returning for the second season of "Westworld."

"The Punisher" is available for streaming on Netflix.

News
The evidence for faith-based morals: the academic research that backs Christian family values
The evidence for faith-based morals: the academic research that backs Christian family values

Research shows that lifelong marriage is good for all concerned

Wildwood Kin’s Meg Loney on how a 24/7 prayer meeting brought her back from the brink 
Wildwood Kin’s Meg Loney on how a 24/7 prayer meeting brought her back from the brink 

Meg Loney went from the depths of drug addiction to being a follower of Christ bringing hope and healing to others with her music.

How going to prison for a crime I didn’t commit changed my life – for the better
How going to prison for a crime I didn’t commit changed my life – for the better

In 2008, Wilson Femayi was wrongly convicted and sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He had just graduated from Bible college. His arrest — the result of a personal vendetta — was a devastating moment. But even in that dark place, God was at work. Today, Wilson is the Executive Director of Prison Fellowship Zimbabwe, leading programmes that are restoring prisoners and reuniting families across the country.

Christians in Africa face worsening violence, report finds
Christians in Africa face worsening violence, report finds

A new report from International Christian Concern (ICC) has revealed a disturbing rise in violence against Christians across parts of Africa, with Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Kenya experiencing a surge in attacks, abductions, massacres and forced displacements.