Ben Barnes talks about The Punisher’s tone and the challenges of filming

Ben Barnes gives us a small taste of what we can expect from The Punisher!

With so much excitement surrounding The Defenders, some may have forgotten that The Punisher is still set to hit Netflix later this year. Other than some posters and an unreleased sizzle reel from San Diego Comic-Con, story details have been scarce. Now, one of its key stars has opened up about what makes the series unique.

In a recent interview with Da Man Magazine, actor Ben Barnes, who plays Billy Russo, expressed his excitement and hope that fans will enjoy the series:

"“I’m excited to share what we’ve made with everyone. More than anything I’ve worked on, with this property, I’m extremely aware of the passionate fan base. I see Punisher tattoos and T-shirts and hats and stickers on vans everywhere I go now and I really hope the show lives up to their expectations.”"

The actor also explained the show will be a more grounded addition to the MCU with a very human story:

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"“I was really pleased at the grounded, tough approach to the material. Our show is about men suffering tragedy and trauma; it’s about a very real topic set in a world of superheroes—but no character in our show has superpowers and that makes it feel unique in this universe.”"

In terms of his own character, Barnes faced two major challenges in playing the role:

"“It was a great challenge to find a character to appear opposite the Punisher. When a character is compelling and violent and charismatic like that, the challenge is to find the qualities that will balance him out or complement him. It was also pretty physically grueling in the action sequences—a lot of very cold night shoots in Brooklyn, New York. I always had some injury or other during the course of the season.”"

Whether it’s a superhero film or television show, the amount of physical work can get rough, but it sounds likes Barnes handled it like a trooper.

Next: Netflix releases first teaser for The Punisher

In terms of the show’s tone, the fact that it’s dark and grounded isn’t surprising at all. Marvel/Netflix have been known to tackle more serious themes like addiction and PTSD. They’re also not afraid to be more violent than their film counterparts. The prison fight sequence in Daredevil season two alone proves that.

It’s been very evident that Frank Castle has some internal struggles, and it won’t be long before we see him set off on his dark (and painful) journey of self-discovery.

The Punisher is set to hit Netflix in late 2017.