The Punisher season 2 arrives on Netflix in January 2019. The Punisher has had a rocky road in live action. The first movie based on the character was 1989’s The Punisher starring Dolph Lundgren. Despite Lundgren’s charismatic performance and some fun action sequences, the film was lumbered with a low-budget, bad screenplay and fans hated that the character didn’t wear his trademark skull logo.
The character received a reboot in 2004, with Tom Jane playing Frank Castle. Jane received strong reviews for his performance, but the movie itself attracted mixed notices for its bizarre tonal shifts and choppy pacing. When Jane refused to return for a sequel, Ray Stevenson took on the role for soft reboot Punisher: War Zone. While the movie flopped upon release in 2008, it soon gained a cult following for its gleefully gory action and for being a stylish throwback to 1980s action cinema. Despite turning down the sequel, Jane will later reprise the character in an unofficial short film dubbed Dirty Laundry.
Related: The Punisher Season 2 Is Done Filming
Frank Castle made his MCU debut in Daredevil season 2, where he was played by Jon Bernthal. The character soon received his very own show, with The Punisher season 1 earning praise for Bernthal’s central performance and staying true to the character’s roots. Now Netflix has confirmed the second season will land in January 2019, though the exact day hasn’t been specified yet. In their New to Netflix January 2019 video, the streamer included some footage of Frank Castle and revealed season 2 of The Punisher is "coming soon." See the footage starting at the 1:57 mark in the video below.
While the first season of The Punisher had its faults, it did a great job capturing Castle’s tortured psyche. With the recent shock cancellations of Iron Fist, Daredevil and Luke Cage, many are assuming that The Punisher’s second season will likely be its last. It appears the relationship between Netflix and Disney has deteriorated over the last year, and it seems very unlikely either The Punisher or Jessica Jones will survive beyond their forthcoming seasons.
If that proves to be the case, hopefully The Punisher season 2 will end the series on a strong note. Plot details for the new season are still sketchy, though it's known Billy Russo (Ben Barnes) will return as iconic Punisher villain Jigsaw. Fans are still reeling from the sudden cancellations, which proved particularly surprising in the case of Daredevil since it was one of Netflix’s most popular shows. Star Charlie Cox recently revealed his feelings on the show’s demise, and feels saddened by the idea he may never play Matt Murdock again.
More: Why Punisher & Jessica Jones Haven’t Been Cancelled (Yet)
The Punisher season 2 premieres January 2019 on Netflix.
Source: Netflix