The Punisher‘s second season dropped on Netflix yesterday, so this should be a happy time for fans of Marvel TV. However, what with the state of the streaming service’s corner of the MCU, it’s a bittersweet one instead. Yes, while it’s good to have more of Frank Castle on our screens, its release will surely mean that a cancellation can’t be too far away.
After all, at the tail-end of 2018, we had to bear Netflix pulling the plug on Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Daredevil, which pretty heavily suggests that The Punisher and Jessica Jones don’t have long left, either. While fans might not have come to terms with this yet, star Jon Bernthal certainly has. He explained to Variety that he’s aware of the situation going on between Marvel and Netflix right now and, as it’s totally out of his hands, he’s decided not to let it bother him.
“I know the reality of the situation and I’m at peace with it. I really only worry about the things I can control. When I’m playing the character and I’m doing the job and it’s right there in front of me, I do whatever I can to make it as good as I can. But in this business there’s so much we can’t control. Whatever is happening with these shows, these decisions are being made in rooms I’m not invited into and I’m OK with that.”
That’s fair enough, and Luke Cage star Mike Colter said something similar when he revealed that he expected his show to end after its second season, as he sensed the change in the wind beforehand and steeled himself to expect some bad news. Still, it must have been tough to hear he won’t play Power Man again. Likewise for Bernthal when the inevitable news that the Punisher has punished his last crook comes through.
The Punisher season 2 has received a bit of a mixed reception from critics so far, but it’s definitely a must-watch for fans who’ve followed the Defenders-verse so far. And we can still look forward to Jessica Jones season 3 later this year as well, before it all comes to a close.