Casting for The Punisher is well underway. Marvel has officially announced two new cast members and confirmed Ben Barnes’ role in the Netflix series. If you remember from the Daredevil Season 2 finale , Frank Castle retrieved a CD labeled ‘MICRO’ from a hiding spot in his family’s home. As many fans speculated, MICRO stands for Microchip, an old friend of The Punisher’s.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Girls) will play Micro, “a former NSA analyst whose secrets may be of great value to Frank Castle and everyone around them.”
Amber Rose Revah (Son of God) will play a new character named Dinah Madani, “a highly-trained sophisticated Homeland Security agent who is vexed by the Punisher.”
Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia) plays Billy Russo, “Frank’s Castle’s best friend from his days in the Special Forces. He runs a successful private military corporation called “Anvil.”’ With ties to the massacre that murdered Frank Castle's family, Billy Russo is the archenemy of The Punisher in the comics. He goes by Jigsaw and is the head of the Maggia Crime Syndicate.
In the comics, Micro plays an integral role in Castle’s vigilantism by managing his finances, getting him rare weaponry, setting up safehouses and dishing out advice. However, the two have a falling out.
MCU Exchange got a hold of a leaked audition script suggesting Micro and Castle are putting old beef to the side to team up against a common enemy.
“Look, friend, I know your story, and I know we can make things right again,” Micro says to Castle. “I know that we’re after the same people, or I should say the same people are after us, which means that we are after the same people.”
Deborah Ann Woll will also reprise her role as Daredevil’ s Karen Page. She’s seen speaking with Frank Castle on a park bench in a recent set photo. Karen was the one that discovered a sting-op gone wrong killed Frank’s family. Karen and Frank shared a strong connection in Daredevil Season 2 and it looks like their relationship will continue to grow in the solo series.
The Punisher is expected to release sometime in 2017.
