If we’re truly nearing the end of the Marvel/Netflix era as many of us believe, then perhaps the second season of The Punisher will be just the nihilistic saga needed to match the mood of these final days.
Either way, we can apparently find out from January 18th, with Netflix’s Middle East and North Africa Twitter account listing this as the release date for the next set of episodes in the Frank Castle story. At the same time, Marvel Entertainment has shared a new teaser for Season 2, viewable above, which may not give a whole lot away, but at least sets the tone with its footage of Castle burning the pardon he received after the events of the first season. In the ashes, we see that familiar skull symbol, signifying that Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is well and truly back.
Indeed, Castle is going to be more his vengeful self than ever this time round, with showrunner Steve Lightfoot recently telling Collider that the second season is “about Frank really adopting the mantle of The Punisher,” highlighting this arc as the central theme of the new episodes. Helping him to embrace his inner antihero will be villain John Pilgrim, played by Josh Stewart, who describes his character as “a man who is a Christian Fundamentalist who had a rage, a violent side of him.”
Anyway, while Netflix are unlikely to announce a cancellation in advance of the new season’s release, it certainly looks like this could well be it for The Punisher. If so, then here’s hoping Castle can at least go out with a bang when the second season drops on January 18th, because after that, Marvel/Netflix fans might only have more or Jessica Jones to look forward to before it’s all over.