SYFY Wire talked to The Punisher Showrunner Steve Lightfoot and got some information regarding the show. Although the Marvel/Netflix shows take place in the same universe, he explains why we won’t see The Defenders popping up in Frank Castle’s story.
“I think it’s something that you need to talk to someone in Marvel about that because when I came in to take the show on, it was always very clear to me that they wanted it to sort of tell its own story and run on its own track and not really intersect with what was happening in The Defenders. That was part of the brief.
I guess I could speculate on the reasons for that, but I think from what I understand the original concept for the four characters that became The Defenders was always the plan and the Punisher spun out of that. But very much certainly when I came in the brief was always that it was to be its own show and its own thing separate from that.”
Not having Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in the show is both a positive and negative. Although I want to see more of the characters in action, The Punisher also needs to be a cohesive, singular story about Frank Castle. Shoehorning in The Defenders likely would’ve resulted in a mess.
“After exacting revenge on those responsible for the death of his wife and children, Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) uncovers a conspiracy that runs far deeper than New York’s criminal underworld. Now known throughout the city as The Punisher, he must discover the truth about injustices that affect more than his family alone.”
The Punisher hits Netflix on Friday, November 17.
