Following the Las Vegas massace in early October, which resulted in the death of 58 people, while 546 were injured, it was decided that Marvel wouldn’t announce the details of “The Punisher’s” release at New York Comic Con.
That was a wise decision. Because “The Punisher,” which is based upon the hugely popular Marvel comic-book series, features a huge amount of gun violence, as Frank Castle uses his military skills and background to murder those responsible for the death of his family.
I recently had the opportunity to talk to “The Punisher’s” showrunner Steve Lightfoot about both the decision to pull the show from NYCC and its use of guns.
At first Lightfoot responded by insisting that Netflix made the right choice regarding Comic-Con, explaining, “It’s a really tricky issue. I think Netflix and Marvel made the right choice. Given what those people had been through if there was any chance of upsetting someone that wouldn’t be cool.”
When it comes to its depiction of gun violence, though, Lightfoot doesn’t believe that “The Punisher” warrants any more scrutiny than any other television show or movie.
“I think beyond that the debate about guns and violence is huge. I don’t feel like it specifically relates to our show. In so much as it is about any show, movie, or anything else that uses violence for entertainment. I don’t think it is specific to our show, I think it is a debate that is out there.”
All 13 episodes of “The Punisher’s” first season are now available to watch on Netflix.
