Though Marvel’s The Defenders is at the forefront of comic book conversations at the moment, another Marvel series on Netflix will be without the unifying character of Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple. According to Entertainment Weekly, The Punisher won’t feature Dawson in any capacity per the actress herself during an interview with Collider.
“At the end of the day, it’s really hard to get all of those casts together. For The Defenders, it was difficult to get everybody together. People are busy! There are so many times where I really want it to happen. I really wanted to do a cameo on The Punisher, but it doesn’t always work that way.”
Dawson has been a staple of Netflix’s expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the beginning and has appeared in at least one episode of every program thus far. Her character played particularly important roles in Luke Cage and Daredevil along with using her medical expertise at a key moment in Jessica Jones. As the martial arts pupil of Colleen Wing in Marvel’s most recent installment, Iron Fist, Dawson added a degree of levity to the series while reestablishing her character as more than a love interest. She will reappear in The Defenders along with the primary cast from all previous series.
The shocking thing about the news is that if any hero needs some medical assistance, it is probably Jon Bernthal’s take no prisoners, gun toting, “kill ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out” Punisher. First appearing in the second season of Daredevil, the character’s approach to criminals is miles away from that of his fellow vigilantes. His contemporaries can have fun saving the world from supernatural threats. Frank Castle’s enemies are gangsters, drug dealers, and other realistic lowlifes. Dawson’s absence might not only be a matter of scheduling, but a clear message that the Marvel universe on Netflix can in fact get grittier.
Deborah Ann Woll will reprise her role as Karen Page in The Punisher and additional cast members include Amber Rose Revah (House of Saddam), Jaime Ray Newman (Veronica Mars), and Daniel Webber (11.22.63). The series is still in the process of filming with Steve Lightfoot (Hannibal) at the helm.
The Punisher debuts later this year on Netflix and The Defenders premieres August 18, 2017. Stay tuned with mxdwn Television for further information about both shows as well as other titles in Marvel’s Netflix continuity.