Television shows don’t need to be fresh releases to capture the attention of audiences.
Due to streaming platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+, classic series like Friends, Gilmore Girls, and The Office continue to be favorites for viewers worldwide.
Although many acclaimed TV shows originated in the 90s and 00s, there is one particular series that has maintained a strong following, celebrating seven years since its original premiere.
This series, inspired by a Marvel comic of the same name, initially premiered on Netflix but has since found a new home on Disney+.
Netflix’s licensing agreement for the show ended after the second season, allowing Disney to reclaim the rights.
Known as The Punisher, the 26-episode series was removed from Netflix in 2022.
In The Punisher, Jon Bernthal, recognized from The Bear, embodies Frank Castle, the titular character, who seeks vengeance on those responsible for his family’s demise.
The inaugural season was released on Netflix in 2017, followed by the second in 2019.
The debut occurred on November 17, marking its seventh anniversary just this past week, prompting fans to express their enthusiasm online.
A fan expressed on Twitter that it remains ‘still one of [their] favorite Marvel series’, while another mentioned: “It was fantastic and I’m hoping he gets to continue his series like daredevil with Disney+!”
Another fan chimed in: “I’d love a new season of this.”
Someone else praised: “Seven years later, The Punisher still holds up as one of Marvel’s best!”
The show’s acclaim is reflected in its Rotten Tomatoes score, where it holds a 79 percent rating on the Popcornmeter.
Similarly, it enjoys an 8.4/10 rating on IMDb.
Though a third season has not been announced, Bernthal is set to reprise his role in another Marvel endeavor.
Reports from Variety in April revealed that the actor was spotted on the set of Daredevil: Born Again, slated for release next year.
In 2021, Bernthal was questioned about the viability of his Punisher portrayal within the more family-oriented Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“That character, in particular, has real, real, real deep, deep meaning for me and resonance in me,” he shared. “He’s really in my heart, man. He’s really in my bones. I’m enormously protective of that character.”
He emphasized that Frank Castle should retain a certain ‘darkness’.
Bernthal elaborated: “I think if there’s any let up on that character, you do a disservice to the character, to every iteration of the character, to every comic book that’s come before, and to all of the unbelievable fans of the character. This character means so much to people in the military.
“So like I said before, it’s not about whether you do the character; it’s about whether you can do it right, and I’m only interested in doing it right.”