'The Punisher' Air Date, Cast News: Jon Bernthal Talks Grief and Gun Violence
Netflix subscribers anticipate the release of "The Punisher" on the streaming platform. The spinoff to "Daredevil" launches this November and star Jon Bernthal has been making the press rounds.
Bernthal sat down with the press during the Netflix special screening of "The Punisher" in New York last Monday. The actor discussed themes like grief and gun violence as his character, Frank Castle, turns into a vigilante following the murder of his family. He also discovers a crime ring operating in his city.
"This is a real piece about grief; it's about pain," Bernthal said. "What we ask in the course of this season is 'What do you do next? What do you do with the war inside, and how do you face that?'"
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There's a lot of pent-up anger in Castle that gun and violence are crucial elements to "The Punisher." Bernthal admits it's not easy for the show to be preachy about this stuff, but he believes "The Punisher" shines a mirror on today's society. Bernthal hopes his show will open debates and discussion about gun violence to find real solutions.
Netflix put off launching "The Punisher" earlier because of a recent mass shooting in Las Vegas. Merely hours before the show's New York premiere, however, a mass shooter also open fired in a rural Texas church.
"There's clearly an issue," Bernthal remarked on real-life events. "We clearly have a problem and what we need immediately I think is some open dialogue on it."
Meanwhile, Marvel TV executive Jeph Loeb told the press that Castle is no means an infallible hero in "The Punisher." He became who he is because of he's in pain, which shows his humanity.
Bernthal said, however, that his take on Castle isn't about making him the hero or a villain. He wants the show to reveal that cost of violence coming from a man in pain.
"The Punisher" will launch all 10 episodes on Netflix on Friday, Nov. 17, at 3:00 a.m. EST.
