Well holy shit. After I had finished Season 1 of Daredevil, I had written an article about who we could see next in Season 2 of Daredevil that you could read here. In that article, the one character I was most excited for was the Punisher. He is one of my favorite Marvel characters and plainly just one of my favorite characters. Now, not only is the Punisher coming to Daredevil season 2, but he is being played by none other than Jon Bernthal. He is perfect casting for Frank Castle, and I’ve been waiting for him to finally get a role in the superhero genre. I was a huge fan of Thomas Jane, and in my eyes he will always be the Punisher, however Jon Bernthal is the perfect marriage between Thomas Jane and Ray Stevenson. Let’s break down some of the reasons why we should be excited for Jon Bernthal’s upcoming portrayal of the Punisher.
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His Physique
Jon Bernthal is 5’ 10” and is 169 lbs. The Punisher is supposed to be 6’ 1” and 200 lbs. Although Jon Bernthal is not the exact size he has a body type that looks very similar to Frank Castle. Charlie Cox who is also 5’ 10” is not quite as imposing as Jon Bernthal. I think we’ll see a similar dichotomy between Cox and Bernthal as we saw with Bernthal and Andrew Lincoln on The Walking Dead. Also, Jon Bernthal is just as built as Frank Castle is suppose to be.
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His Career So Far
We have seen Jon Bernthal play several different roles, but he always has recurring qualities throughout all of his characters. In The Walking Dead he was a man of extreme will and violence. He was ruthless, but had an internal fight against his humanity. That in and of itself is the essence of Frank Castle. Also, in Fury, he plays an extremely loyal mad dog who is known for being a little out of control. Again, very Frank Castle-esque. Even in The Wolf of Wall Street, he plays the hardcore drug dealer. He has his morals and doesn’t like to cross those much like Frank Castle has his code that he doesn’t break. He continues to do movies and shows that have garnered critical acclaim.
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What Can He Bring to the Role?
Bernthal has shown that he is a rising talent and demands the respect on screen that most A-list actors demands. We’ve seen him give physical performances and emotional ones. Much like Thomas Jane, Bernthal has had a few different performances, but has shown great promise in his ability to to have humanity intertwined with great brutality. Also, while still being a rather “unknown” actor, we can count on him giving this role his everything. He will work as hard as he does in every role so that he may gain a viable franchise.
I couldn’t be more excited for this news and I trust that Marvel will finally handle this character with the dignity and respect he deserves. Also, introducing him in Daredevil is an extremely wise move, considering that Marvel’s TV universe is much more violent and gritty than their movie universe. I really trust Jon Bernthal as an actor especially for a role as intense as this. I have been begging for years to see him in a starring role deserving of a wider audience, so that he could really show off his obvious talents. Hopefully, this will be that role for him.
What do you guys think? What did you think of this news? Was he your fancast? Do you think his inclusion in Daredevil is the proper introduction or would you rather see him somewhere else? Please let me know what you think in the comments below and be sure to check out my website www.SlackerNerds.com and follow me on Twitter @HaneyCasey.