Jon Bernthal Does A Fine (and Violent) Turn as The Punisher

Jon Bernthal did a solid job as The Punisher. He is the fourth actor to step into the vigilante's combat boots. While Thomas Jane is always going to be everyone's favorite Punisher thanks to his role in the deliriously silly movie in 2004, Bernthal's version may end up being the dark, sinister one closer to the Marvel Max version.

Purists may be irked that Bernthal's Punisher talks a bit more than the comic anti-hero. Bernthal's Punisher reveals his feelings and internal anguish far more than the one seen in the comic books. Fans do have to realize the Netflix series has to establish a character that works well within the context of the story. That means the character of Frank Castle has to be fleshed out. A one-note killing machine would gain any sympathy from audiences. He may be able to shake things up during slow spots in the series, but that type of character gets old after a while.

In season two of Daredevil, The Punisher did appear as an intriguing yang to Matt Murdoch's ying. The trouble is the season shifted focus to the Elektra-Daredevil dynamic and dropped the moral difference angle between Castle and Murdoch. That's what happens when you only have 13 episodes per season to work with.

Bernthal's run as The Punisher in Daredevil was intriguing. Let's hope we see more of him in the future.