After Las Vegas Shooting, ‘The Punisher’ Panel Gets Pulled From New York Comic Con By Netflix And Marvel

After the tragic shooting in Las Vegas that left more than 50 people killed and over 500 wounded, Marvel and Netflix have decided to pull the panel for The Punisher, which was to take place at New York Comic Con. The annual convention is set to kick off on October 5 and the Marvel series’ panel was supposed to be a highlight of the weekend.

According to Comic Book, a joint statement was issued by both Netflix and Marvel, in which they spoke out about the decision to cancel The Punisher’s panel at New York Comic Con, following the tragedy in Las Vegas. The companies came together to say that they are both “stunned and saddened” by the senseless act of violence that took place in Las Vegas this week.

Marvel and Netflix said that it was after very careful consideration that they made the joint decision to not have The Punisher participate in this weekend’s New York Comic Con. They felt that it would simply not be appropriate after what transpired this week. With The Punisher having such heavy use of guns in the series, it makes sense that Netflix and Marvel would not believe it was appropriate to hold the panel under the circumstances. The two companies then concluded their statement by saying that their “thoughts continue to be with the victims and those affected by this tragedy.”

Suspicion and covert dealings on all sides. #ThePunisher pic.twitter.com/YvPDIxwBhE

— The Punisher (@ThePunisher) September 21, 2017

The Punisher panel was perhaps one of the more highly anticipated panels at New York Comic Con prior to its being pulled. It was expected that the panel would reveal exactly when the series would be released on Netflix. There have been a number of hints and teasers that have pointed to an official release date of October 7, and many fans of the character, played by Jon Bernthal, thought that at the panel they would learn that the series was available to stream right then and there.

Since the Punisher first debuted in comic books, he has been a very conflicted character. He has always been one of the few heroes in the comics who has not shied away from getting violent in his stories.

A message from Netflix and Marvel regarding the Punisher panel at #NYCC. https://t.co/EI1sEYyDjf

— New York Comic Con (@NY_Comic_Con) October 4, 2017

When the Punisher was introduced in the second season of Daredevil, Jon Bernthal was able to bring the character to life in such a way that his chemistry and dynamic playing against the more peaceful nature of Daredevil, actually led to fans demanding he get his own series. Netflix and Marvel agreed with the fans, and Bernthal was in fact given his own series.

Now that The Punisher panel has been pulled from the New York Comic Con lineup, it remains to be seen if the events in Las Vegas will also impact the actual release date for the series. While there is no guarantee that the show was going to begin streaming this weekend, it is unlikely that Netflix or Marvel would want to debut their new series in the wake of what happened. There is no word from either company as to when an announcement will be made in terms of the premiere date for The Punisher.

[Featured Image by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images]