Jon Bernthal Reveals He Wants To Break Boundaries With The Punisher In The MCU

Since Daredevil made its critically acclaimed debut on Netflix last year, the show has helped usher in a new wave of more mature, more adult superhero shows. With Marvel preferring a strict PG-13 mantra on the big screen as of late, Netflix has become the perfect platform for shows with a bit more edge. With Jessica Jones proving that Daredevil was no fluke, it seems the fans of the MCU have a lot to look forward to.

Season 2 of Daredevil dropped recently, and it instantly wowed audiences, proving that, with little restriction, a violent, profane, blood-soaked superhero show can work wonders for the ratings and fans’ opinions alike. However, one main reason for the success of Season 2, thus far, has been the reveal of The Punisher (aka Frank Castle). It was a shocking, violent, in-your-face introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for everyone’s favourite anti-hero, and fans are ready for more.

Well, the future isn’t certain for The Punisher yet, what with a solo TV show rumoured to be in the pipeline. Regardless of this, actor Jon Bernthal confirmed he wants to break boundaries with the character and have his journey continue.

In an interview with Complex, Jon Bernthal sat down and gave his feelings on The Punisher and how he sees the character developing in the future. When asked about a potential Punisher spinoff series, Bernthal made his feelings clear.

“For me, it’s not a question of what they want to do with a character, it’s more, how are they going to do it, and who’s going to be the ones to do it. This character is in my bones now, he’s in my blood. If they want to go forward in any way, for me it’s just really going to be about making sure we do it in a way that’s raw and intense. I want to push the envelope. I wanna alienate more of the audience and try to bring them back.”

For those in the dark, the introduction of Daredevil and Jessica Jones to the MCU is just the first stage of assembling The Defenders, a show that was announced back in 2013, as confirmed by Cinema Blend. With Luke Cage and Iron Fist joining Jones and Daredevil and rounding out this group, it seems the plan is currently on track. With two seasons of Daredevil down and a second season of Jessica Jones green-lit — not to mention shows in development for the other characters — it’ll be interesting to see if they add any other heroes to this mix, and The Punisher could be a prime candidate. A solo show for the vigilante is rumored, but nothing is confirmed as of yet. However, after stealing multiple scenes in Daredevil Season 2 and wowing dedicated fans the world over, the demand is certainly there.

And the demand is warranted. With several lukewarm movies in the rear-view mirror, The Punisher has finally found a home where Marvel can be true to the original source material. The character is honestly tragic, violent, and, at times, downright brutal, and this translates well in Daredevil, a series that not only tackles human redemption against a dark, unyielding cityscape, but also treats its heroes like human beings — thrusting them into impossible situations and watching them come out the other side, battered, bruised, and, in some cases, changed forever. It’s this canvas on which Jon Bernthal excels as Frank Castle, a man who loses all that is dear to him and sets out to exact a vigilante justice of his own, wronged by the very government that made him so dangerous in the first place.

When asked why he wanted the controversial role, Bernthal revealed that being a family man helped him step into Castle’s bloody shoes.

“I don’t think I would be ready to even begin to tackle this part if I wasn’t a husband and a father. Until you have that, you don’t really love something more than yourself, and know what it’s like to give your life for somebody else. The first step in trying to fill Frank Castle’s shoes is to try to understand what would happen if somebody tore that love away from you—tore those people away from you. And that’s something that just filled me with so much emotion and made me so scared, so angry.”

Whether The Punisher gets a spinoff show remains to be seen, but with Daredevil becoming increasingly popular, Jessica Jones proving that Netflix is the place to be, and Deadpool carrying the R-rated card for the big screen in cinemas everywhere, proving that there is a huge market for adult material, it appears to be a simple matter of when, not if, Frank Castle makes a return. With Bernthal eager to break boundaries and make the character his own and the fans patiently waiting to see it, Marvel has a serious talent on hand to make it so.

Over to you, Marvel.

Starring Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Élodie Yung, Jon Bernthal, and Rosario Dawson, Daredevil Season 2 is available on Netflix now.

[Image via Marvel Comics]