Marvel's The Punisher Season 2 Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

6. Josh Stewart's Compelling (If Slightly Underused) Villain

The Punisher John Pilgrim
Netflix

Josh Stewart enters as a new villain for The Punisher to take on, playing the very religious John Pilgrim, a show-only character (but with elements of some comic book characters within).

Almost immediately, Stewart carries with him an aura that lets us know this isn't a guy to be f**ked with, but also something deeper too: an unshakable confidence, a faith if you will, in getting the job done. Whatever happens to him, whatever is thrown in his direction, he just keeps on coming, like some kind of non-giving up Church guy.

He's kept to the background a little too much, but the glimpses we see paint him as far more complicated than just your regular Sinister Minister type, with a family life and real investment in the story that eventually allows us to understand why he keeps coming back for more. He mixes that by holding his own in the action stakes too, making for someone truly menacing when his scenes are allowed to burst into life.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.