Since the second season was officially announced back in April, we’ve gotten a few indications that we may or may not see Elektra and Bullseye in Marvel Studios’ acclaimed Netflix series ‘Daredevil’ next year. But today we learned that one fan favorite character that would indeed be making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut alongside Matt Murdock when he and the citizens of Hell’s Kitchen return to our favorite streaming service with brand new episodes.

According to Marvel.com, Jon Bernthal has been cast as Frank Castle, the vigilante known as The Punisher who “aims to clean up New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen by any means necessary, no matter how lethal the results”. Bernthal is best known for his role on AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ as Shane Walsh, but since his character got the walker treatment at the hands of young Carl Grimes, the actor has established his acting prowess with parts in ‘Wolf of Wall Street’, ‘Fury’, and ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’. Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb comments on the casting and gives us a little taste of what we can expect when The Punisher steps onto the scene:

“Jon Bernthal brings an unmatched intensity to every role he takes on, with a potent blend of power, motivation and vulnerability that will connect with audiences. Castle’s appearance will bring dramatic changes to the world of Matt Murdock and nothing will be the same.”

Previously, when Punisher first returned to the stable of characters under the Marvel Studios banner, it was believed that another feature film starring the trigger-happy hero would be in development. However, based on the success of ‘Daredevil’ and the dark subject matter that the series deals with, it’s no surprise that Kevin Feige and company changed their game plan a bit. But depending on how the latest incarnation of Frank Castle is received, one has to wonder if he’ll spinoff into his own Netflix series at some point in the future.

What do you think of Jon Bernthal playing The Punisher on ‘Daredevil’? How do you think he’ll cross paths with Matt Murdock in season two? And how do you think Thomas Jane is taking this news? Sound off in the comments.