We've said it before, there's only one Frank Castle, and generally the character does excite us. And so continues the upcoming Netflix series 'The Punisher' to do.
It is difficult to say that so far Netflix has done anything wrong with its MARVEL (in New York) series and thus our hopes for Castle's streaming debut are rather high. Even though, normally, we don't do that, hype and anticipation - or hope! Hope is for adolescents who wish to get some on the weekend.
But that's another story and, as so often before, we are digressing again.
Finally, after months of teasing, and a recent rumored postponement of the series release, in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting drama, Netflix has released the second trailer for the series around the Hell's Kitchen mercenary, and boy they did not disappoint.
Didn't disappoint because without much [apparent] shame, the storyrunner, Steve Lightfoot, changed the origin story of Frank Castle.
In the comics, Castle's family is killed because they witnessed a mob hit and the mob, diligently as they tend to be, wanted to get rid of all incriminating evidence. Thus started Castle's trip of vengeance.
Clearly for Steve Lightfoot, the series writer and also known for the TV-series Hannibal, this wasn't dramatic enough and he decided to give Castle's vengeance slightly more oomph, more raison d'être.
They killed my family to get to me.
In the upcoming TV-series, as we are glimpsed at in this trailer, the murder of his wife and child is a job by the government, in retaliation, apparently because of some knowledge Castle has about a certain government cover-up.
This is certainly a more interesting angle given the times we live in, even more so with Snowden, Wikileaks, NSA, GCHQ, and many more secret services tapping in to pretty much all possible communication methods we have and behaving ever more as Big Brother.
The trailer also introduces us to Rico, Castle's new side kick.
Personally, we aren't totally sure what to think about Lightfoot's change but we can see why this may have been introduced. And at worst... alternate timelines and none of this did happen, right?
Considering that Netflix has a huge following with Millennials and younger parents, it is safe to say that the mob may have lost some of its crime appeal too. Although Netflix themselves may also be the ones who are actively working at restoring the lacklustre fame of the mob, but mostly the drugs mafia, thanks to its excellent Narcos and El Chapo series.
That's a different mob tho, not the Sicilian 'Casa Nostra' type of mob which has inspired Hollywood and television makers for many decades.
For the first time too Netflix has revealed the release date for the series, and surely the much antipicated news comes with a bang. Hits like Frank Castle does.
Netflix's MARVEL’s The Punisher premieres on Friday, November 17, which is the same day as Warner Bros.'s Justice League premieres.
Netflix, DCs best third friend.