We’ve been hearing for years that Marvel TV is looking beyond The Defenders and that new heroes are going to getting second wave shows in the near future. Rumblings that characters such as Moon Knight, Blade, and Ghost Rider are on deck to get their own solo series have been making the rumor-mill rounds for ages.
Well, MCUExchange might have a nod to this possibly starting with an introduction in The Punisher series. As Marvel’s C.B. Cebulski hinted at Asia Pop Comic-Con the series will be getting another hero.
“Another Marvel hero may be showing up [in the Punisher].”
They also point out that Daredevil/Defenders stuntman Chris Brewster (Murdock stunt double) is listed among the Punisher’s cast on IMDB. Brewster’s addition could mean anything and doesn’t automatically equal Matt Murdock showing up, as he also was the stunt double for Chris Evans on Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Other credits include Ant-Man and The Wasp and Guardians of The Galaxy.
While Cebulski could be talking about someone like Daredevil reuniting with Castle, we’ve seen most of these solo series hold-up on their own and introduce audiences to new heroes, not old ones. Examples include Daredevil giving us reboots of Elektra and Punisher, Jessica Jones making Luke Cage a secondary character, Luke Cage making Misty Knight a female lead, and the same with Iron Fist’s Colleen Wing.
There is also speculation from ThatHashtagShow that Paladin might be joining the second season of Jessica Jones.
Our assumption given Marvel TV’s track record suggests it’s going to be a new character and likely someone that connects to the world of Frank Castle.
Who could that be?
As confirmed by Marvel, Ben Barnes is playing former US special forces soldier and best friend of Frank’s named Billy Russo, who now owns a private military contractor company called Anvil.
Russo is also the notorious gangster known as Jigsaw.
Anvil could be an easy entry point for another ruthless vigilante named Marc Spector aka Moon Knight. One of the villains of the series will be a CIA Agent Rawlins.
Moon Knight was a character Omega Underground suggested to get an introduction/cameo back when we made a list last summer of Six Things We Want To See In The Punisher.
Spector being military, former CIA, and a mercenary means there’s a strong chance he could be caught up in the events of the series.
Castle and Spector have also crossed paths on multiple occasions in the comics.
Marc Spector was the son of a rabbi whose family had fled Europe in the 1930s to escape the Holocaust. As Marc matured, he rejected his father’s morality and embraced materialism. He became a heavyweight boxer, then a U.S. Marine, and then a CIA operative.
Marc’s brother, Randall, joined him in the CIA but he also betrayed the agency, selling weapons to both sides in an altercation in Italy.
Fed up with the CIA, Marc became a mercenary and spent several years as a hired gun. Although he ostensibly sought to fight for causes he believed in, Marc was easily persuaded to fight for anyone who paid him enough. While working in Africa, Marc met the French mercenary Jean-Paul DuChamp, whom he nicknamed “Frenchie”. Marc and Frenchie became close friends and served together on several missions.
After a clash with fellow mercenary Raoul Bushman in Egypt, he was left for dead in the desert. Spector dragged himself through the sands to the tomb unearthed by Dr. Alraune and was found by Marlene and her servants. They brought him into the tomb, placing his body at the foot of a statue of the moon god, Khonshu. Marc was pronounced dead, but he suddenly arose, alive. Spector believed that Khonshu had restored him to life to serve as the moon’s knight of vengeance. Donning a cloak taken from Khonshu’s statue, Spector destroyed Bushman’s forces, but Bushman escaped.
Spector honed his abilities to wage war on crime. Using his mercenary profits, Marc created the identity of New York millionaire Steven Grant to help him mingle with influential people. He also created the identity of Manhattan cab driver Jake Lockley to make contacts with people on the streets.
It would make sense for the second team-up project to become Midnight Sons (as we’ve previously suggested to Marvel) or a gender neutral team name like The Nightstalkers (Defenders lineup was altered for TV too).
Characters like Castle, Spector, Johnny Blaze (Ghost Rider), Eric Brooks (Blade), Hannibal King (vampire), Dr. Michael Morbius (vampire), Daimon Hellstrom (demon), Jack Russell (werewolf), and Jennifer Kale (sorceress) would make for an interesting group of anti-heroes. Allowing Marvel TV to tackle more of the horror/supernatural stuff they’ve hinted towards with Daredevil and Iron Fist, the Hand could be just the tip of the iceberg.
As much as people seemingly want The Thunderbolts to be next, Midnight Sons/Nightstalkers makes a bit more sense concerning their street level heroes.
Omega Underground was on hand at Phoenix Comic-Con, when Ghost Rider actor Gabriel Luna suggested Marvel tackle Midnight Sons and cast Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus as Johnny Blaze.
Marvel is expected to promote Punisher at New York Comic-Con, it’s possible this other hero could be revealed there.