The Punisher season 2 has finally shot onto Netflix, but there's the ominous feeling that it's likely to be assassinated by Netflix before season 3 can happen.
The streaming giant has been systematically cancelling its Marvel TV shows including Luke Cage, Iron Fist and most recently, Daredevil with The Punisher and Jessica Jones' fate left unconfirmed.
Now the showrunner of Jon Bernthal's rampaging shoot 'em up has explained that he wants a third outing for Frank Castle, but it's ultimately down to Netflix.
Executive Producer Steve Lightfoot told Syfy Wire: "We left season two in a place where my hope was everyone would just be like, 'Fantastic, I can't wait for season 3'.
"And if we get to make season 3, I'll be absolutely delighted. I would love to make 10 seasons."
However, Marvel TV's Jeph Loeb added: "That's not our decision to make... It's ultimately going to be Netflix's call, as it is with every show. We are beholden to the network and it's the network who decides whether or not we're going to do it."
What to Read Next
The Punisher season 2 reviews saw critics take potshots at the show, with some saying it dragged out season one's storyline for too long and just crammed in more action.
It's thought that the demise of the Netflix Marvel shows could be down to the upcoming Disney streaming platform, which is likely to have a much younger demographic than these gritty superhero outings.
However Lightfoot was keen to point out the decision very much comes from the network, which in this case is Netflix. He added that unlike the movie industry, the show won't necessarily be cancelled due to performance, and sometimes it's solely down the decision from the network.
In more hopeful news, there's been talk of potential ideas for Daredevil season 4, while Netflix said the "character will live on in future projects for Marvel" in its statement about the cancellation.
Meanwhile, there's a potential Daredevil crossover in this second season of The Punisher to look forward to.
The Punisher is available on Netflix now.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter account.
Laurence Mozafari (he/him) is a multi-award winning journalist, editor, and presenter. A former Editor-in-Chief of Digital Spy, Laurence previously held roles as the site's Editor, Deputy Editor, and Associate Editor focusing on news, social, and video. Laurence hosted the BBC Sounds podcast Obsessed with Peaky Blinders in 2019. He also hosts his own podcast production, Time of My Life, where he interviews fascinating elders about their life lessons, including Only Fools and Horses' Sir David Jason, Star Trek’s George Takei and Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh.
Laurence was named Editorial Director – Youth Audience at Reach in early 2025. Prior to joining Digital Spy, he was previously at Bauer Media working as Digital Editor of Heat magazine's website Heatworld.com, and has also worked at and written for Sky, NME, Q magazine, Grazia, Closer, FHM and dedicated careers website GoThinkBig. He secured a first-class BA journalism degree at Staffordshire University, along with several NCTJ qualifications, and now has 14 years' experience in digital publishing covering TV, movies, music, gaming, tech, showbiz, and travel.
Laurence has been a broadcasting contributor on television and radio, including KISS, Heat Radio, BBC Radio London, Radio 5 Live, and BBC Breakfast.
He is also a visiting lecturer at various universities teaching journalism, including City, University of London, Nottingham Trent, Staffordshire University and London Metropolitan. Laurence has won numerous awards in his journalism career, including the BSME Talent Award’s Best Deputy Editor, the PPA's 30 Under 30, and the New Editor and Editor of the Year at the AOP and BSMEs. He led Digital Spy to win PPA's Digital Content Team of the Year twice, along with the British Media Awards’ Brand of the Year in 2021.
Laurence joined the committee for the British Society of Magazine Editors in 2022 and was named vice-chair in 2025. He has since hosted panels with CEOs of Immediate Media and the Media Trust at the PPA Festival, as well as presenting his own radio show on Green Man Radio at Green Man Festival in 2022. Laurence is also a Brits voting academy member.
Laurence has been lucky enough to interview numerous celebrities, actors, and musicians throughout his career. Arnold Schwarzenegger loved his hair, Jimmy Carr loved his coat and Antonio Banderas gave a shout-out to his mum. Laurence has covered set visits for The Witcher on Netflix and Marvel’s Inhumans, he got Daisy Ridley to do a Chewbacca impression and loves Marvel, PlayStation, Glastonbury and craft beer. Linkedin
