New set photos show Jon Bernthal in The Punisher's classic comic book costume. The slew of Netflix/ Marvel shows continues apace, with The Defenders hitting the small screen this summer. The limited series follows on from Iron Fist, which fared well in terms of ratings, but came in for some particularly unfavorable reviews. Certainly, The Defenders is more highly-anticipated, since it will bring together Marvel/Netflix superheroes Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Matt Murdock/ Daredevil and Danny Rand/ Iron Fist. A whole host of other characters from the Marvel/Netflix series to date, will also appear.

Following on from The Defenders, The Punisher season 1 will arrive on Netflix sometime this year, thought the exact date hasn't been revealed yet. (If it follows the pattern set by Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, though, it could be sometime around September/ October.) The character of the Punisher has proven to be an extremely popular anti-hero, after Jon Bernthal made his debut as the emotionally tortured Frank Castle in Daredevil season 2.

Filming on The Punisher has just wrapped, but new set photos have emerged (via Fantastik Marvel Twitter), of Bernthal wearing the classic Punisher costume, eerie skull and all. Take a look, below:

The Punisher. #FrankCastle pic.twitter.com/jEQdQY7kMN— Fantastik C. Marvel (@FantastikMarvel) April 13, 2017

As seen from the image below, Frank Castle's costume bears a close resemblance to how the character appears in the comics, which is sure to please fans. We've still not got any major plot points revealed, and the photos above only hint that Frank has been fighting, again, but that's to be expected. Part of the character's appeal, is that although he is inherently a bad guy, you can't help but feel some empathy towards him for all he's been through. However, given that he is such a tough guy, in almost all of The Punisher set photos we've had thus far, Frank looks as though he's taken some beatings in return.

It will be interesting to see Frank's journey documented as he eventually takes up his anti-hero mantle. Early set photos gave no hint that Frank Castle had actually become The Punisher, but the pictures above confirm that we can expect that to happen in this first season. Bernthal has fully embraced the character, which he says resonates with him. His appearance in Daredevil was strong, and he received high praise for it, so things look promising for The Punisher series. Hopefully, the writing and direction will be strong enough that the show can live up to the precedent set by Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.

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The Defenders will arrive August 18th, with The Punisher season 1 coming later this year, Daredevil seasons 1 and 2, Jessica Jones season 1, Luke Cage season 1, and Iron Fist season 1 are now available on Netflix. Premiere dates for the newest seasons of Jessica JonesDaredevil, and Luke Cage have not yet been revealed.

Source: Twitter