Netflix's 'The Punisher' Premiere Pushed Back Following Las Vegas Shooting

In the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas this weekend, Marvel and Netflix have announced that “The Punisher’s” premiere will be further delayed “later this fall.” The streaming service planned to surprise release the show this weekend, but it was pushed back out of respect for the many victims of the shooting.
Earlier today, Verne Gray of Newsday broke out the news of “The Punisher’s” premiere cancellation. The series was also supposed to host a big panel during this weekend’s New York Comic-Con and where the first episode of the show was going to premiere. However, seeing how the shooting in Las Vegas still affects a lot of people, Netflix decided to cancel its NYCC panel as well. Given how “The Punisher” is a violent show with lots of guns and deaths, it’s not much a surprise for the streaming service to push it back a little further.

Jon Bernthal and Deborah Ann Woll in The Punisher (2017). Photo via Netflix

‘The Punisher’ premiere date now set ‘this fall’

Netflix never announced an official release date for “The Punisher” to begin with. Instead, they opted for a more cryptic approach in marketing the show—blurring the release date in videos and various promotional materials. But it was rumored before that the show was going to premiere this Saturday, picking up after the common surprise drops that music artists like Beyoncé, Drake, Rihanna, and Radiohead did for their albums.
According to Gray, “The Punisher” now has a late fall release. A spokeswoman for Netflix clarified this by saying, “We never announced a premiere date and have not yet.” While each of the Marvel shows on Netflix contain violence, “The Punisher” emphasizes this even more. The opening credits even include shots of guns being used, including semi-automatic rifles.
“We are stunned and saddened by this week’s senseless act in Las Vegas. After careful consideration, Netflix and Marvel have decided it wouldn’t be appropriate for Marvel’s The Punisher to participate in New York Comic-Con. Our thoughts continue to be with the victims and those affected by this tragedy,” Netflix and Marvel said in a statement after canceling its NYCC panel.