What I Learned from Daredevil Season 2: Punisher Is God

Jon Bernthal deserves an Emmy. Jon Bernthal deserves his own Netflix series. Jon Bernthal doesn't just deserve one batch or two batches, he fucking deserves all the batches. He deserves the dime not the penny.

Do not watch unless you have finished Daredevil

Those have been just some of the thoughts running through my head while watching Daredevil Season 2. Jon Bernthal's Punisher is an incredible addition to the Marvel Universe. Ever since he was announced as joining the show the general feeling was that Bernthal would bring justice to the character of Punisher, who has a shit go of things in live action (Expect for Tom Jane in Dirty Laundry). He just nailed everything I wanted to see from Frank Castle. The philosophical divide between Punisher + Daredevil is handled beautifully. Frank's solution to crime is to eradicate it by any means necessary. Matt Murdock still believes in the justice system he serves and believes in redemption and second chances. This causes an epic collision of these two characters that makes people in Hell's Kitchen asking what really makes someone a hero. I have so much more to say but I'm gonna save it for my full season review.

What do you guys think of Jon Bernthal's Punisher? What about season 2 of Daredevil in general? Sound off in the comments.

Thomas Jane in Dirty Laundry

Jon Bernthal Will Be The Punisher in Daredevil's Second Season

Chocolate + Peanut Butter. Corey + Topanga. Oreos and Milk (Also try it with American Cheese. Sounds gross, tastes awesome). These are all classic pairings that work perfectly together. Well be ready to add another pairing to that list because Marvel has just knocked it out of the park with it's latest casting decision for it's next season of it's Netflix hit Daredevil. 

          Way back in April, at the end of my review for the second half of Daredevil's first season I made a plea for Frank Castle/The Punisher to appear in next year's series of episodes. Wasn't sure it was actually gonna happen. Low and behold Marvel not only brings in Frank Castle for Matt Murdoch's second rodeo, but they also cast the perfect actor imaginable to play the hardened vigilante, Jon Bernthal. That's right. Shane, the world's most loyal best friend, from The Walking Dead is going to roam the streets of Hell's Kitchen looking for trouble. Now that is damn exciting. Bernthal is a damn fine actor and is sure to own this role.

Source: Marvel

So what will Frank Castle's role in the series be? Perhaps he'll be a comrade for Matt to help further each other on their vigilante crusades? Maybe he'll be a client for Nelson + Murdoch to defend? Or maybe he could be a straight up villain? All of those are certainly possible  but what I think is going to happen is that Frank + Matt are going to have a conflict of ideologies. Throughout Season 1, Matt tried to not cross a line into killing bad people. There is no line for Frank Castle. He won't just beat the shit out of the bunch of dudes in a hallway. He'll beat them then put a slug through their fucking skulls. Frank isn't fucking around and if he is leaving a trail of bodies, Daredevil is sure to try follow the corpses to the source. If these two duke it out, expect a fight for the ages.

P.S. Now cast Bullseye! 

Everyone's reaction to this news

Thanks for reading! Are you excited for Bernthal's Punisher? Will he and Daredevil butt heads? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for all our TV + movie reviews. 

Daredevil Season 2 Is Coming In 2016!

Netflix/Marvel's Daredevil is getting a second season! The status of DD was unsure because of other impending Marvel shows (AKA Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage) were supposed to lead all to a team up Defenders miniseries, so initially it seemed that we may have not been able to see old horn head until 2016. Thankfully Marvel has told us today that is not the case.

Marvel's home site stated: With the first season of "Marvel's Daredevil" proving a smash success with both audiences and critics, Netflix and Marvel will continue to create further adventures of the Man Without Fear! 

Source: Marvel

The only down side to the renewal is that Season 1 showrunner Steven DeKnight (Spartacus) will not be returning to guide Season 2. Instead Season 1 writers Doug Petrie (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Marco Ramirez (Sons of Anarchy) will be at the helm. DeKnight is off to work on other commitments, but maybe when the time comes Marvel will give him a chance to run The Defenders? The man has his fingers in the right assholes so let's hope he wiggles them and he will be in charge of the TV superhero team-up.

Anyway get ready for some more arm breaking. Get ready for some more legal battles. And mostly important get ready for some more tasteful side boob! Cause the devil of Hell's Kitchen is coming back, y'all!

Thanks for reading! Are you pumped for Season 2? Who should the villain be? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews.

P.S. Please invite this dude for a few episodes.

Daredevil Season 1 (Ep. 7-13) Review

Daredevil and Kingpin are on a collision course to decide the future of Hell's Kitchen in the kickass final seven installments of Daredevil. (Mild Spoilers)

High Points (Ep. 7-13)

• Stick was an asshole and I loved every second he was on screen. He gave us insight on what drives Matt as well as one kick ass fight scene. With an eventual Defenders team up occurring, Stick looks to factor in on future of the MCU Netflix-verse.
• Ben Urich became one of my favorite characters on the show. A gumshoe journalist who seeks the truth instead of promoting bullshit. 
• Flashbacks to Wilson Fisk's past were extremely well done. Learning about what happened with his father was very enlightening. And goddamn Dom from Entourage as Bill Fisk was some of the best casting I have ever seen. Guy just drips a prick vibe.
• The significance of The Rabbit in a Snowstorm painting was amazing.
• The later episodes make great use of Matt's Catholicism as both a metaphor for himself and Fisk.
• Foggy and Matt bumping heads was an interesting conflict. Imagine having to question if anything about your friendship is true? Heavy Stuff.
• The fight scenes against Nobu and Gladiator were excellent. Matt got hit by a lot of sharp shit. 
• The first Wilson Fisk vs. Matt was brutal. Fisk is no slouch. Amazing strength comes with his rage.
• Madame Gau is sure to factor in the other upcoming Netflix series (...Iron Fist!). She reminded me of the magician at the beginning of The Prestige, who pretended to be feeble in order to protect his secrets. Like him, Gau puts on an act. She is tough and very formidable.
• That Electra reference! I wonder if any of Matt's other former lovers could come out of the woodwork say maybe Black Widow?
• Karen Page's past will definitely be explored in the future. 
• Daredevil's new suit is awesome! Armor, but with horns. Absolutely love it.

• Fisk and Vanessa's romance grew on me. It became integral to the story and how Fisk began to falter.
• Matt had no love interest and it was fucking great. None of that Olicity bullshit to get in the way of awesome fight sequences and badass dialogue.
• Matt, Foggy, Karen, and Ben drove the Kingpin to the edge. He was forced to kill off his comrades left and right.
• The entire finale is epic. Especially the final clash between Daredevil and Kingpin. Showrunner Steven DeKnight excels at finishing stories. Look at his finales for each season of Spartacus. 
• This season was an origin story that didn't feel like an average origin story. It integrated past and present well.

All that was missing was a little of this!

Low Points (Ep. 7-13)

• Stick was only in one episode. 
• Rosario Dawson kinda fell off the map, but she will show up in other Netflix series.
• Karen's storyline dragged at some points. It was vital, but could have been shortened. 
• Second Season isn't online right now.

Verdict (Ep. 7-13): Everything I said in my first review still applies. This show is just grand. Amazing acting, writing, cinematography and fights that will make you physically ache like you were in them. I am just running out of amazing stuff to say about it. All I know is that I'm an asshole for giving the first half of the season an 8.5, it should have been a 9.5. That is my cross to bear. But back to what matters, Daredevil is exactly what the MCU needed. A dark character who fights street level crime. A character that lends himself well to long form storytelling. And Daredevil fit both those categories. Marvel has given us action comedies, fantasy films, a 70's political thriller and even a space opera with dancing trees. Now it has given us the gritty crime drama that we, the fans, deserved and the one we needed right now. So for all this amazingness I'm giving the second half of the season a 9.0 out of 10. 

Best Episode (Ep. 7-13): Episode #13 "Daredevil"

Best Superhero Fight Scene Ever: Hallway brawl in "Cut Man"

Watch it on repeat!!!

Season Average: 8.75 out of 10

Full Season Grade: 9.25 out 10 aka "Let the devil in!"

P.S. If there is a God, he will introduce Frank Castle, The Punisher, in season 2. Along with Bullseye, Electra, and the Hand. Please and thank you!

Thanks for reading! What do you think of Daredevil's 1st season? Who should be introduced in season 2? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash reviews.

Daredevil Season 1 Midseason (Ep.1-6) Review

The path to the Defenders begins as Matt Murdoch's journey to becoming the the Man Without Fear is set in motion in the all new Netflix/Marvel show Daredevil. (Very Mild Spoilers)

Episode Description: Matt Murdock opens his law practice while also starting his career as a nightly vigilante.

High Points (Ep 1-6)

• Excellent performances from the entire cast, Cox in particular.
• Brutal fights scenes are reminiscent of Spartacus. Every punch that is thrown in this show has consequences. Nobody leaves a fight unscathed. It is the type of bone crushing violence that Frank Miller loves.
• That hallway fight at the end of the second episode is legendary. 
• Love how Matt's powers are really secondary to his fighting skills. 
• Slow burn introduction to Wilson Fisk. 
• Fisk reminds me of Tony Soprano not because they are two fat mob guys, but rather they both have two sides to them. A family side and the violent monster they can unleash when needed.
• Speaking again on the level of violence this show is by far the darkest content Marvel Studios has produced. Marvel is showing it has balls.
• Because this is a show and not a movie, every character gets a chance to stand out. From Foggy to Urich to Fisk each person has had their strong character moments.
• Flashbacks to Matt's past are utilized quite well (You hear that Arrow?). 
• Ties to the rest of the MCU are there, but this still feels like a great standalone story in a small corner of the MCU. I love that the stakes are smaller than world conquest but that doesn't make it any less interesting.
• I would be remiss not to mention I love Rosario Dawson as Night Nurse. 
• The show makes good use of Murdoch and Nelson as defense attorneys. This led to some great court room scenes.
• This show makes several choices to distance themselves from 2003's Daredevil and they all work. Especially how they display Matt using his powers.

Showrunner Steven DeKnight knows how to build great fight scenes

Low Points (Ep 1-6)

• Opening episode is slowly paced
• I understand showing a different side of the Kingpin (Wilson Fisk) when we first see him, but him courting his future wife from the art gallery are the least interesting scenes on the show.
• Some early humor falls flat.
• I wish we got to see Battlin' Murdoch fight Crusher Creel.
• The show launched at 3:00 am EST. 

Was anyone else waiting to see Battlin' Jack save Fisk from Zed + the gimp?

Verdict (Ep 1-6): Daredevil is exactly what the Marvel cinematic universe needed. Something different, something dark that stand-alones from it's other popular properties. Using Netflix as a platform for it's newest TV show, Marvel has finally allowed for some darker tones mixed with brutal violence. Not every part of the Marvel universe is so chipper and this show cements that fact.
          As a lead Charlie Cox is a star. You will actually believe his Matt Murdoch would go out and be able to handle himself against insane mob fighters. Then when needed he can flip a switch and be an ace in the courtroom. As for his associates Foggy, Karen, and Claire each of them have their moments. I am particular to say that I am a massive Rosario Dawson fan and love that she is on this show. I hope she pops up in Jessica Jones + Luke Cage as well. Just outstanding casting all around.
         Lastly, I just cannot say enough about the fighting on this show. I thought Arrow had great stunt choreography. This show makes that stuff look like it's for pre-schoolers. Each brawl is intense and never ends with only one or two punches. Feels more like a man is fighting another man. No super strength or armor here. Really helps keep the spirit of the Daredevil the comic character alive.
          Truly I made this review short because I want to go back to binging this awesome show. Daredevil is legit and gets an 8.5 out of 10 for it's first 6 episodes. Can't wait to see what the next 7 have in store.

Best Episode So Far: Episode #2 "Cut Man"
          

Thanks for reading! What do you think of Daredevil's 1st season? Who should be introduced in season 2? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow and Flash reviews.

What Marvel's Spiderman Needs To Do

6 Things That The Spectacular Spiderman Needs To Do

Spiderman is swinging his way into the MCU. I still get excited every time I write it. After an introduction in Captain America: Civil War, the Web Head will be getting a new solo film in 2017. So I prematurely determined that film should be titled The Spectacular Spiderman and came up with a list of some things that Marvel Studios' take on the character should include. Enjoy!

1. Keep Peter Parker/ Do Not Retell His Origin Story!

Ever since Marvel + Sony's announced their team-up, the name Miles Morales has been tossed around quite a bit. Some people are tired of Peter Parker's tale. Instead they want a different character as Spiderman. Miles is of course the Spiderman from Marvel comics' Ultimate verse. He was introduced back in 2011 and picked up the mantle of Spiderman after Ultimate-verse's Peter Parker's death. The real plus to Miles is that he would bring some much needed diversity to the Avenger's roster with his half African American half Puerto Rican heritage. 

Now while I agree that bringing in Miles as Spiderman does have it's positives, I still believe that Peter Parker should remain the cinematic Spiderman for now. Fans have wanted to see Spiderman chill with his fellow Avengers for some time now and having Miles being there instead of Peter just would not be the same. I wanna see Peter exchange quips with Iron Man and receive guidance from Captain America. He is the original Spidey and with Marvel finally getting to use the character in it's universe, I just don't see them not using Peter Parker.

Now in the future I am 100% onboard with bringing Miles in as a replacement. Marvel Studios wants these films to run for as long as possible, so when the time is right Miles can take on the mantle of Spidey and carry the franchise into a new era.

But until then, if Peter is involved keep his origin story out of it. Peter gets bit. Uncle Ben gets killed. Powers + Responsibility. We get it. We don't need to see it again a third time. The Amazing Spiderman had Ben die because Peter wanted chocolate milk. There is just no coming back from that. Do what The Incredible Hulk did and tell Peter's origins in the opening credits. Of course the film can allude back to Uncle's Ben murder and Peter getting his powers when needed, but just start the film with Peter having been Spidey for a little while. 

2. Introduce New Villains

The Amazing Spiderman did a poor job of utilizing Spiderman's rogues gallery. Which is surprising because besides maybe Batman, the Web slinger has the best cast of baddies in comics. Which brings us to Electro. No one's favorite villain is Electro. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko don't even like him. That is until The Amazing Spiderman 2 director Marc Webb claimed that he loved the character. Then he turned Electro into a caricature and absolute joke of a main villain. Now if that's how Marc treats the things he loves, I sure wouldn't want to be his Valentine. So for the new films let's focus on villains people actually like and have set backstories, not a guy who looks like Mr. Freeze's ballsack and acts like Jim Carrey's Riddler.

Truer words have never been spoken

Several high profile Spidey villains have yet to have a big screen adaption. Electro was picked over greats like Kraven, Mysterio, Vulture, Kingpin, and Scorpion. Marvel won't make that same mistake. They will pick one that fans have been clamoring for because if the MCU needs one thing, it's better bad guys. Besides Loki and hopefully Ultron, the MCU villains have been very underdeveloped and underwhelming. Showcasing Spidey's kickass rogues will definitely help aid that nagging problem.

Although I do have one caveat. Hold on off on using the Green Goblin for now. He has been depicted on screen twice now and the last time Marc Webb gave him fucking meth mouth. Pennsatucky from Orange Is The New Black has a better smile than that ugly bastard. Now this is in no way saying that the characters Norman + Harry Osborn should not be used at all, but what I'm saying is if they are used set them up for a couple of movies before suit up one of them up in the halloween costume. 

3. Get An Experienced Director(s)

No more Marc Webbs. The guy was inexperienced with action movies and large budgets. He did excel in romantic moments, but if you look at #6 I say this next reboot needs less of that shit. So who should Marvel + Sony turn to for directing this bad boy?

The obvious choices are Chris Miller + Phil Lord. They dominated the action comedy genre last year by directing both The Lego Movie and 22 Jump St. The duo has worked with a large budget and are comfortable with both action + comedy. Plus they have worked with Sony before and the last time Marvel hired a duo comedy director team, the Russo brothers, they got the best Marvel solo film since Iron Man. Miller + Lord are a perfect choice to steer this franchise back in the right direction.

I need Peter Parker doing some Slam Poetry in my life

4. Find A Consistent Tone By Telling Cohesive One Story

Besides it's laughable baddies, the biggest problem with The Amazing Spiderman was that it spun too many damn plates. The movie had more story-lines than an episode of Game Of Thrones except that almost half of them didn't even matter to the plot. Truthfully there was just too much going on to care about anything. Important parts of Peter Parker's character like working for the Daily Bugle or going to college were glossed over in favor of showing us  Aunt May become a nurse. Peter is your main character. Never forget that. Don't just throw Peter into a mishmash of random studio ideas.

But by far the least interesting component of the mishmash that was The Amazing Spiderman films was the backstory to Peter Parker's parents. It was a story that had an obvious conclusion (except for the random subway laboratory) with little payoff. No one cares about Peter Parker's parents. We care about how Peter lost his Uncle because he didn't do what was right. He will carry the weight of Ben's loss with him for his entire life. No need to bring his deadbeat parents into the equation as well.

My point is that there is no need to drudge up Spiderman's past anymore. The comic fans know it. The general audience knows it. It is time to move forward with the character instead of constantly linking his stories to his past. The last two movies to really focus in on Peter's past were Spiderman 3 that linked Sandman back to Uncle Ben's death for no reason and The Amazing Spiderman 2 that focused (well they didn't really focus on anything) on Peter's shithead parents. Let's leave the past in the past and move forward with Spidey.

One final note for Sony. Do not try to set up any fucking spin offs. This comment is directed at Sony because they are still obsessed with making a Sinister Six film still even after making a deal with Marvel that squashed their original plans. Instead focus on the franchise at hand. This is your last shot. You can't reboot Spiderman again if this fails (at least not for a while anyway). So listen to Marvel and don't give us anymore of this Oscorp created every single bad guy ever nonsense. 

5. Focus Less on Love Interests

Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy was a high point of the recent Spidey flicks. Kristen Dunst's Mary Jane Watson on the other hand was one of the worst parts of the original trilogy. So whether its Gwen, MJ, Felicia Hardy, or his fucking left hand let's have less focus on Spiderman's love life for at least one movie. 

Look at great superhero movies like The Dark Knight, GOTG, The Avengers, and Captain America: The Winter Solider. What do all these films have in common? Their romantic plots are minimal. Hell, if Peter is going back to high school so let's show him be a nerd and not getting the girl for once. Seriously the guy has gotten more ass than any nerd I have ever seen.

Lastly on this topic, the climax of the film should not include Peter's current boo (if he actually does get one). In all 5 movies Peter has been forced to protect his girlfriend during his final showdown with a nemesis. Let's change up the stakes this time around.

Right on, Adam!

6. Have A Connection To The MCU

One of the coolest aspects of having a connected cinematic universe is that characters can pop up just about anywhere. Take Black Widow for example. She has been in 3 MCU films so far (also referred to as the Black Widow trilogy) Iron Man 2, The Avengers, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Each of those films is from a different franchise and yet Widow fits into each one of them. So while Spiderman will be featured in Captain America: Civil War, I believe Marvel + Sony should have some other character from the MCU pop up in his solo film.

Now I'm not sitting here saying that Iron Man or Hulk needs to show up, but maybe one of Marvel's New York based heroes or villains can. Personally I think the perfect fit would be either Daredevil or Kingpin. Both characters are being introduced in Netflix/Marvel's Daredevil TV show set to air in April. By the time 2017 rolls around the Man Without Fear and the Kingpin of crime will have had over two seasons (assuming that the show succeeds) of development and will be ready for big screen appearances. Just imagine Spidey and Daredevil teaming up to bring down the Kingpin. This scenario could also help set up Sony's Sinister Six (hopefully it never happens because it completely goes against my 4th point) that they seem so obsessed with making still. They could use the storyline from the 1994 Spiderman TAS in which Kingpin assembles the Insidious Six to defeat Spiderman. Anyway I just think that those two characters could fit nicely into Spidey's universe.

Lastly, the Punisher was teased in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. So maybe just like his comic counterpart he could be introduced in a Spidey story. Seriously though I could go on for another twenty paragraphs about who could show up where in a Spiderman movie because the interconnected universe allows for just about anything. So just put someone in there Marvel + Sony.

Bonus: Bring Back Soon to Be Oscar Winner J.K. Simmons As J.Jonah Jameson

Incredible actor who was so perfectly cast that he made Marc Webb and Sony afraid to find a replacement. 

Thanks for reading! Are you excited for Spiderman to join the MCU? Who do you want Spidey throwing down with in his next solo adventure? Let us know in the comments or on twitter @Caped_Informers. and @cstrand73. Be sure to check back regularly for more show/movie reviews and editorials regarding the comic book universe. I'm also writing up a few diffent pitches a story to the 2017 Spidey movie, so stay tuned for that as well.

First Trailer For Daredevil TV Show Has Dropped!

Daredevil looks like he is finally gonna get his due. Netflix and Marvel have assigned show runner Steve DeKnight, who made the amazingly violent and sexual Spartacus, to dive head first into the darker part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Badass street brawls, blood, and mob figures like the Kingpin are not what we are used to from Marvel projects. So get fucking excited that we are finally seeing something different come April 10th! 

Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist are all fine characters that deserve a little love, but personally I would rather have a Punisher series or Moon Knight show follow DD. That's just me.

'Daredevil' Show Casts The Kingpin!

Wilson Fisk is in the house! Variety is reporting that Vincent D'Onofrio (Men in Black) will play The Kingpin in the upcoming Netflix Daredevil. D'Onofrio is no stranger to TV. He was on Law And Order: Criminal Intent for several years. Can't wait to see the big guy battle it out with Charlie Cox's blind hero. I still hope we here casting soon for DD's other big bad Bullseye. Daredevil will begin shooting soon and is expected for streaming on Netflix in 2015.

Source: Variety

Let's hope Marvel provides enough sugar on set.

Marvel Studios Has Rights To Kingpin

Marvel Studios does not own the film rights to a few of the comic company's most beloved characters. Sony has the film rights Spider-Man. FOX owns X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Recently though MCU godfather Kevin Feige, in a interview with IGN Movies, confirmed that Marvel Studios does have shared rights to one of Daredevil's greatest foes, The Kingpin. Put one in the plus column for the studio because initially it seemed only Daredevil's rights reverted back to them which left us wondering if Matt Murdoch would do battle with Wilson Fisk on his upcoming Netflix series. Confirming the villain would be a big win for that series. Avi Arad, producer of the Spider-man films, then went on to add that Sony has access to the Kingpin character as well. A joint custody if you will. So maybe if Kingpin does show up in the Spidey-verse he could possibly be the antagonist of the Sinister Six film. Just spouting off a great idea. No big. Daredevil will be shot this summer, so expect casting news soon and Sinister Six is in it's beginning stages of development.

Read the interview: http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/07/marvel-studios-boss-kevin-feige-talks-captain-america-the-winter-soldier-spoilers-and-whats-in-store-for-the-marvel-cinematic-universe