After the success of the second season of "Marvel's Daredevil", a separate show for The Punisher (played by Jon Bernthal) was ordered by producers. Now, The Punisher has had four live action appearances, three of which failed to gain any real traction. There are decades of Punisher stories and a wide array of characters that could be used within this show. The show could go into Frank's time in the military, or Frank's time in the seminary where he had severe difficulty forgiving those who did evil to others. Arguably these times in his life made him into The Punisher just as much as the deaths of his family did.

Story lines

1. Up is Down, Black is White (2006)

In this story arc, Nicky Cavella digs up the bodies of Frank's wife and children and proceeds to not only piss on their bodies he records the act and releases the video to the world. Naturally, Frank Castle is none too happy. The beginning of the series could potentially start with this, a shot of the cemetery in which the bodies are buried, seeing "CASTLE." This would be an interesting story line to go with simply for the shock value. It would also be interesting since the Marvel Netflix properties have never shied away from dark, shocking material.

2. In the Beginning (2004)

This particular story line would be better suited later on down the road (season 3 perhaps). In this story line, Microchip (who we know will be in the show) betrays Frank and sells him out to the mob and it just becomes a shit show from there. If this story line was included, then the essence of the character could be retained and many other characters could be brought in. Micro would have to be written off for a short while, but I do not believe that would be a problem.

3. Born (2003)

"Born" revolves around Castle's time in the military and a similar approach could be taken here. Castle's service had been alluded to at multiple points within "Daredevil", but nothing had really been explicitly explained. "Marvel's The Punisher" could go into this in greater detail by having flashbacks similar to the way "Arrow" does, but they would have to be put in to have some kind of connection to the plot going on then.

Characters (Allies)

1. David Linus Lieberman/Microchip

The last episode of season two of Daredevil had Frank pull out a disc from behind a picture labeled "Micro". This was likely an obvious reference to his sidekick and tech guru known as Microchip. He has been on screen before in 2008's "Punisher: War Zone", starring Ray Stevenson. It would be interesting to see what kind of interpretation might happen within this particular show.

2. Martin Soap

The down on his luck detective and occasional ally of The Punisher. He also appeared in "Punisher: War Zone", but absolutely no reason he can't be used again. In "Punisher: War Zone", Det. Soap was part of the "Punisher Task Force" in the NYPD, dedicated to bringing Castle in. This dynamic could be brought to life again.

3. Lt. Molly Richtoffen

Also an NYPD Detective, Molly Richtoffen is assigned to the Punisher Task Force after refusing to sleep with a higher up for a promotion. Richtoffen is a strong, "doesn't take your shit" kind of character. Marvel's Netflix properties have been no stranger to this having Jessica Jones, Elektra, and Trish Walker. She previously appeared in the video game "The Punisher" from 2005.

4. Shotgun

Someone who served in the military with Castle, Shotgun would be an interesting addition to the show. After leaving the military, Shotgun worked for the CIA, but eventually became a mercenary. Shotgun could be used as a temporary enemy, too.

5. Jenny Cesare

The granddaughter of Gaitano Cesare, entered into an abusive marriage with a man named Tim. After years of abuse, Tim is killed by The Punisher. There is even more darkness in this character, though. the same day her husband is killed, Jenny is diagnosed with breast cancer. She goes through a lot of police training and eventually guns down members of her own family after undergoing a mastectomy and donning The Punisher's skull logo. After this....well she and Frank have sex. Jenny being unable to feel anything after, she commits suicide as Frank watches, unable to stop her.

Characters (Villains)

1. Jigsaw

Jigsaw, another character who has been brought to film before as well as being in two "Punisher" video games. Jigsaw is one of the main villains in relation to The Punisher. Billy Russo (often called "The Beaut") is a narcissistic mob boss, absolutely obsessed with his looks. He is disfigured after thrown out of a window and miraculously survives. Jigsaw would be a great villain to start off with. Much like starting off a Batman work with The Joker.

2. Ma Gnucci

The matriarch of the Gnucci Crime Family, has a real issue with The Punisher in that in "Welcome Home, Frank", The Punisher kills three of Ma Gnucci's sons. Ma then blackmails the NYPD into creating the Punisher Task Force, which (unbeknownst to Ma) only consists of two people. Ma would be a wonderful villain with which The Punisher could carry out an entire season's worth of conflict.

3. Barracuda

Before Dave Bautista signed on to play Drax in "Guardians of the Galaxy", I advocated the former WWE Champion playing the mercenary Barracuda; however, a recasting would be necessary. What is interesting here is that Barracuda has not been brought to life on screen before, so it would be a nice take on a newer character. Barracuda is also an incredibly resilient character who has been a consistent thorn in the side of Punisher. We have seen that Frank can hold his own against multiple and bigger opponents in "Daredevil", Barracuda/Punisher showdowns would be incredible to see.

4. Holy, Elite, and Mr. Payback

This trio is also a group that has not been on screen. These three were basically a team of street level vigilantes known as "The Vigilante Squad". Holy was a priest who was killing criminals with an axe. His particular trigger was someone asking for absolution so he could sin some more. Elite was a white-collar type (literally), keeping his spare time activities secret from his wife and his daughter. Mr. Payback was a vigilante who targeted one-percenters. This trio could bring an interesting dynamic to the show itself since comic book related shows and movies can have a number of religious, social, and political commentaries.

5. Bushwacker

Bushwacker was a former CIA operative who was given a cybernetic arm as a prosthetic, which had the capabilities of a variety of ballistic weapons and even a flamethrower. He appeared in the 2005 video game "The Punisher" where he was employed by the Gnucci family. If he were used in this series, he should have a much larger role than a mere mercenary and freedom to show how much ass he can kick.

BONUS VILLAIN: The Jackal

His appearance would likely have to be changed to fit the realistic nature that the Marvel Netflix properties have tried to go for, but it could still work. For those who don't know, The Punisher's first appearance in comics was in "Amazing Spider-Man #129". In this, he is contracted by a villain called "The Jackal" to kill Spider-Man. Now that Tom Holland has appeared in "Civil War", there could be a degree of integration between Marvel Netflix and the MCU, making up for SEVERAL missed opportunities that there has been to do so. Jon Bernthal and Tom Holland even did auditions as The Punisher and Spider-Man, respectively, so what better way to pay tribute to this fact as well as bringing the Marvel Cinematic Universe full circle?