Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane, and Ray Stevenson have all portrayed one of the most gritty anti-heroes in comic book history, and now Jon Bernthal will add his name to the list, as he will play The Punisher on season two of Netflix's Daredevil series.
Marvel announced the Daredevil Season 2 casting news today. Like Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), aka Daredevil, The Punisher wants to clean up crime in New York's Hell Kitchen, but his methods are more extreme:
"He is a vigilante who aims to clean up New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen by any means necessary, no matter how lethal the results."
Bernthal left an indelible mark on The Walking Dead fans with his phenomenal portrayal of Shane, a former police officer who didn't shy away from making controversial choices to keep his group alive in the zombie apocalypse.
Bernthal has also played intense roles in Fury, Snitch, and Mob City, among other credits, and Marvel's Head of Television Jeph Loeb believes he's the right man to fill The Punisher's combat boots:
“Jon Bernthal brings an unmatched intensity to every role he takes on, with a potent blend of power, motivation and vulnerability that will connect with audiences,” said Jeph Loeb, Marvel’s Head of Television. “Castle’s appearance will bring dramatic changes to the world of Matt Murdock and nothing will be the same.”
The complete first season of Daredevil is now available to stream on Netflix, with season two set to premiere in 2016. For those unfamiliar with the show, here's the official synopsis:
"Blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) fights against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the Super Hero “Daredevil” in modern day Hell's Kitchen, New York City. "Marvel's Daredevil" stars Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson and Rosario Dawson."
Season 1 trailer: