No one’s quite sure what Netflix’s plan for the remaining Marvel shows shall be after cancelling Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, all of which reportedly can’t appear on Disney’s streaming service for a few years. While all of that’s up in the air, the current reigning streaming giant is persisting with season 2 of The Punisher and, so far, is offering only teasing glimpses. We’ve already seen Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle burning his presidential pardon and driving his van, and the above teaser sets up some seasonal conflict.
Will there be a season 3, or will this Marvel title also be cancelled shortly after release? That mystery shall be left dangling, but Jigsaw should fully materialize in what could be the series’ final stab at justice on Netflix. Above, we see Frank back in his skull vest, alternately screaming amid flashes of Ben Barnes’ Billy Russo removing bandages from his head injury. Russo is scarred and clearly traumatized (Gizmodo recently reported that the series will focus on his psychological plight to humanize and update the character), and we catch a glimpse of his impending Jigsaw incarnation.
Cue the ominous voicover. “You need to be what I’m meant to be,” says Frank. “I’m not the one who dies. I’m the one who does the killing.” And given that Frank also references jigsaws (“Every time I try to put the pieces together, something won’t fit”), we should feel sufficiently puzzled here, not only about The Punisher‘s fate but that of Jessica Jones. However, this promo also confirms that The Punisher season 2 will arrive on Netflix on January 18.