It looks like Netflix’s The Punisher series is coming sooner than we may have expected. Casting has already begun, and Jon Bernthal’s title character already has his first villain.
TVLine is reporting that Ben Barnes has been signed as a series regular for The Punisher‘s first season. He’s rumored to be playing Bobby Saint, a crime boss previously portraying by James Carpinello in the 2004 Punisher film. If you know anything about the Punisher, then you know that his enemies don’t tend to survive. But it looks like Bobby will be sticking around longer than most.
If Barnes looks familiar to you, it may be because he was the title character in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, and he also has a starring role in HBO’s upcoming Westworld series. Some of his previous roles include Seventh Son (pictured above), Sons of Liberty, and Killing Bono.
Related: Jon Bernthal Returns For ‘The Punisher’ Series on Netflix
Former Hannibal writer Steve Lightfoot will be the showrunner for The Punisher, and it will be the sixth Marvel TV series on Netflix following Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders. There’s currently no release date for The Punisher, but a 2017 debut seems likely if casting has already begun. But Iron Fist and The Defenders will probably drop first.
Are you excited to see Barnes go up against the Punisher? What other villains do you want to see on the show? Let us know in the comment section below!
