Netflix and Marvel recently launched Luke Cage, which hit the streaming service just a few days ago, but the collaboration has bigger plans on the horizon. Next year will kick off with the premiere of Iron Fist before all the street-level heroes of New York team up in The Defenders. That means Netflix has a full slate of projects headed its way from the MCU, but it won't stop there. The service has new seasons of both Daredevil and Jessica Jones coming soon, and it will also welcome perhaps the grittiest of all the heroes to the neighborhood when The Punisher gets his own solo series.

Given the response from the character's debut in Daredevil season 2, the series has been on the fast track, going from speculation to confirmation in a remarkably short amount of time. And if a new batch of set photos are any indication, it seems that production on the series has officially gotten underway in New York.

Just Jared posted a handful of new photos featuring series star Jon Bernthal during what is the first day of filming. This time, the actor appeared on set sporting a beard, which will no doubt lead to plenty of speculation regarding the character's situation when the series kicks off. Check out the photos below:

CLICK HERE FOR SET PHOTOS FROM THE PUNISHER

Punisher

This is sure to be exciting news for fans of the Netflix/Marvel series, as Bernthal gave a terrific performance as Castle that made the character his own. While these photos don't reveal too much beyond the character's shaving habits, it does make previous reports of a 2017 release date for the series more believable. Production beginning this year is not the biggest surprise, but it is starting before The Defenders, which could signal it coming out between Iron Fist and the team-up series.

With filming set to continue for the next few months, it would be easy for Bernthal to make an appearance in The Defenders, but that will also stretch the Netflix/Marvel crew thin as they film two series simultaneously. Not much is known about the series at this point outside of Ben Barnes potentially playing the villain and reports of Microchip also being cast. As filming continues, more information on the series should become available, from new cast members to reappearing Netflix/Marvel characters.

Daredevil season 1 & 2, Jessica Jones season 1, and Luke Cage season 1 are now available on Netflix. The Defenders and Iron Fist arrive in 2017. Release dates for Jessica Jones season 2, The Punisher and Daredevil season 3 have not yet been announced.

Source: Just Jared