While The Punisher has always proved to be a popular character in the Marvel comic-book universe, it’s always proved to be a difficult job to translate his unsympathetic use of uber-violence (which he uses to rid the world of just about all the crime he can) into the film world, and leave non-comic-book fans caring for him, so now, after three movie outings, Marvel are giving The Punisher his own TV series.
Criminal Minds‘ show runner Ed Bernero is in charge of developing a Punisher pilot for Fox, which will undoubtedly encounter a huge amount of fan-backlash; as the hour-long show is reportedly changing the Vietnam Vet turned homicidal criminal killer into a rising star of the NYPD, who simply moonlights as The Punisher when he can’t find a legal means to catch the bad guy (and if that plot sounds slightly familiar, it could be because it’s exactly the same as Showtime‘s Dexter).
Still, despite what the fans say Fox will be airing The Punisher TV series; as the network have ordered a “put pilot” for the show (meaning they have enough with in the show to guarantee airing the pilot, and will likely be picking it up for at least a full season); which will be appearing on the small screen next year.
And furthering the disappointment of many a Frank Castle/Punisher fan, news of an impending TV series means that despite actor Ray Stevenson (who played The Punisher in his last film outing; The Punisher: War Zone) recently telling us that he’d had talks with Marvel executives about possibly reprising the role of the infamous comic-book vigilante for a new movie, Marvel‘s new direction would completely rule that out as a possibility, and likely be nowhere near violent enough to satisfy the hardcore comic-fans.
Matt Wheeldon.
Source: Deadline.
