The Punisher Trailer Is Nuanced, But Goes Hard

After weeks of super cryptic social media posts (including tweeted episode titles in morse code), Netflix has finally released the first official trailer for The Punisher. There still isn’t a release date, though all signs point to November — including the letters NOV that are almost immediately scrambled at the end of the new trailer.

https://youtu.be/lIY6zFL95hE

Frank Castle playing a guitar? Frank Castle’s origin story revealed beyond that tear-jerking graveyard scene in Daredevil season two? Here for it. Jon Bernthal embodies this role and all of its nuance so wholly — Frank Castle is a vet, but his PTSD comes from seeing the deaths of his family. The Punisher trailer confronts that head-on, which has me really damn excited for this show.

Here’s what we know so far:

Frank’s vow of revenge on the people who killed his wife and children will motivate the first season of The Punisher. We’ve seen Frank kill rapists and child abusers, as well; his military training makes him a sure shot, incredibly good at inflicting death upon others. His moral compass points directly at “scourge the scum of the Earth”. These two things combined makes Frank Castle a great foil for Matt Murdock on Daredevil, and a fascinating subject for his own solo series.

The nuance Bernthal brought to the role in Daredevil will be even more present on The Punisher. That makes sense; it’s his show, now, and we’re here to explore his character growth. But there will be some familiar faces — who else spotted Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll)? Hey, girl. Glad to have you here.

The Punisher is going to be violent. Frank’s gentle acoustic guitar quickly transitions into Metallica’s “One”, which is as hard-hitting as Frank Castle himself. He isn’t playing around.

Here’s what we don’t know:

When The Punisher is finally hitting Netflix. Here’s hoping for a release date. Soon. Like, very soon.