Development A second season of
The Punisher was ordered by
Netflix in December 2017, less than a month after the first season was released. Showrunner
Steve Lightfoot had an idea of what a second season would be when he first knew what the "journey of season 1" was at the start of his work on the series, and did not let the fan reaction to the first season affect his plans since "some people love it, some people hate it, some people are in the middle. My personal opinion with that stuff is you just have to be true to the character and the story you choose to tell." The season consists of 13 episodes.
Writing and design Lightfoot felt the theme for the season was
Frank Castle "adopting the mantle" of the "Punisher". The season begins with Castle traveling across the United States as a way for him to get "a look at the country he fought for but has never really seen" according to Lightfoot. Costume designer Lorraine Calvert gave Castle a "more relaxed" look while he is traveling, having him wear
blue jeans. Castle eventually puts back on another vest with the character's well-known skull symbol, with Lightfoot and
Jon Bernthal working to make that "an integral, plot-driven moment" in the season. Bernthal felt they had "figured out a very intelligent, very tactical reason, a very psychologically tactical reason to wear it" with it making "a lot of sense". Lightfoot also spoke to the inclusion of
Karen Page in the season, feeling the relationship between her and Castle would continue "to be very important". The makeup department worked to realistically place the scars on
Billy Russo's face, who is still recovering from his injuries and is suffering from brain damage. Though Russo resembles the character
Jigsaw from the comics, he does not take on that name in the season.
Ben Barnes also shaved his head for the role this season and adopts a thicker, rougher, New York accent, "more akin to his Bensonhurst roots". Barnes felt Russo had a vulnerability in the season similar to
Vincent D'Onofrio's portrayal of
Wilson Fisk in the
first season of
Daredevil. Dinah Madani has become "fixated" on Russo, visiting at the hospital daily with complete "tunnel-vision on him".
Amber Rose Revah added that Madani is "self-medicating" after the events of the first season, resorting to drinking and promiscuous behavior. As Krista Dumont is "[v]ery uptight [and] doesn't want to let anyone into her personal world", Calvert worked to make her wardrobe equally concealing. Doing this "became a really important part of her character, to hide behind the facade of the clothes that cover her up."
Casting Stars returning for the season were confirmed in February 2018, including
Jon Bernthal as
Frank Castle / Punisher,
Ben Barnes as
Billy Russo,
Amber Rose Revah as
Dinah Madani, and
Jason R. Moore as
Curtis Hoyle. Announced as joining them for the season were
Josh Stewart as
John Pilgrim,
Floriana Lima as Krista Dumont, and
Giorgia Whigham as
Amy Bendix, with
Corbin Bernsen as Anderson Schultz and
Annette O'Toole as Eliza Schultz announced in May.
Deborah Ann Woll was confirmed to be reprising her role as
Karen Page in December 2018.
Filming Filming for the season had begun by March 10, 2018, in
The Bellmores, New York. Filming took place in
Albany, New York, in mid-July 2018, with production on the season concluding in August 2018. ==Release==