Well, the wait is up.
Frank Castle is headed back for a second season of The Punisher, and there’s going to be one hell of a body count once it blasts its way onto Netflix on Jan. 18.
Not only is Jon Bernthal’s titular anti-hero back, based on the new trailer the streaming service posted today, he’s fully embraced his calling: “I’m not the one who dies,” Castle says in the trailer. “I’m the one who does the killing.”
No standing on the sidelines. 💀 Season 2 of The Punisher hits Netflix January 18. pic.twitter.com/mrU9qE63Uk
— The Punisher (@ThePunisher) January 10, 2019
The new season appears to pick up right where it left off: Castle has hunted down and either killed or brutally maimed those involved in the murder of his family, which includes his one-time friend and brother in arms, now his nemesis, Billy Russo (Ben Barnes). Russo for his part, well, he’s never going to fully recover from that ass kicking. Left physically scarred and psychologically shattered after his scrap with The Punisher, Russo dons a face mask that looks like a hand-me-down from Michael Myers to go with his new nom de guerre, Jigsaw, and sets out in search of revenge. Another villain makes an appearance in the trailer, a violent Christian fundamentalist by the name of John Pilgrim, and he too has Castle in his sights.
Unfortunately for both Pilgrim and Russo, they probably don’t have enough men.
Exactly. These scumbags aren't with the program. pic.twitter.com/LnGqCog5YG
— The Punisher (@ThePunisher) January 10, 2019
For fans of Netflix’s version of the gun-toting, no-fucks given death machine, the trailer for season 2 is like a belated bullet-ridden Christmas present. Even though it leaves the details of the plot less than clear, one thing is certain: Frank Castle is no longer trying to pick up the broken pieces of his life, or find himself, and his place in the world. He knows who he is now, and the bad guys do too.
The Punisher is back and he’s not messing around.
Netflix
Castle first debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Daredevil, then returned for his own spin off series, The Punisher, but until now the ex-Marine turned-vigilante has been searching for a purpose, one that goes beyond personal vengeance and wanton vigilante justice.
Based on the trailer he’s found it: Punishment, not justice.