‘The Punisher’ Trailer Changes a Big Part of Frank Castle’s Story

Drew Dietsch
TV Trailers TV
TV Trailers TV Streaming Marvel Netflix

The Punisher is getting his own series on Netflix and fans have been waiting for a good look at what the first season will entail. Well, we’ve got a brand new trailer that gives us our best peek yet.

Give it a watch, but stick around because there is something in this trailer we definitely need to discuss.

“They killed my family to get to me.”

In the comics, Frank Castle lost his family when they were killed by the Mafia for witnessing a mob hit. In the Netflix series, it looks like Frank’s family is murdered in retaliation for Frank’s knowledge regarding some kind of secret government cover-up, seemingly tied to his time in the military. This is a big switch from other versions of the character.

Although, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The concept of the Mafia is pretty played out in fiction. Modern audiences might find such a stereotypical antagonistic force too silly. The idea of a shadowy military organization with ulterior motives makes sense for the grounded approach of these Netflix/Marvel shows.

“You have nothin’ but a war inside you.”

punisher micro microchip
Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays Micro, Frank's tech-savvy sidekick.

We also get introduced to Frank’s sidekick, Micro. It looks like Micro is the one who pulls Frank into a world of revenge and provides him with the tools and information to get him to work.

Still, it’s tough to watch this level of gun violence and not feel a little weird considering real-world events. It’s going to take a lot for The Punisher to break free from the conversations it’s going to create. Thankfully, Jon Bernthal’s excellent performance as Frank Castle is a big draw for fans and regular audiences. Hopefully, he’ll be able to find the humanity, sympathy, and heroism at the heart of the character.

The Punisher will drop its entire first season on Netflix on November 17.

Drew Dietsch
Drew Dietsch has been professionally writing about entertainment for over a decade. His bylines include FANDOM - where he was a founding contributor and Entertainment Editor - Bloody Disgusting, SYFY WIRE, and more. He created and hosts GenreVision, a weekly film discussion show at genrevision.com.