The Punisher: 10 Ways It Saves Netflix's Marvel Universe

2. A Distinct Lack Of Ninjas

Say what you will about Daredevil, Iron Fist or The Defenders, but there's no denying that The Hand - everyone's favourite evil ninja cult - were beginning to grate.

They're fine in Daredevil's world, certainly so, considering their significance in the character's lore, but by the time Netflix's Avengers equivalent rolled around, people were fairly fed up. Fortunately for us, the Punisher has no business fighting ninjas, so it was back to basics for Frank's return to the small screen (which is a welcome relief, it must be said).

It would be remarkably puerile to argue that literally all of Netflix's problems these last few years have been Hand-related (Iron Fist would've undoubtedly blown irrespective of any ninja influence), but they were over-saturating the Marvel landscape by the time The Defenders dropped in August. The fact that they're not here now, then, adds another neat bonus to The Punisher's ever-expanding list of wins.

Things are in the Ennis mould this time around; villains are real world operatives, crawling out of real world institutions and concocting plots that, for the most part, are grounded in historical precedent. It might be a superhero show in a basic sense, but it's clever for playing to the strengths of Castle's bibliography and not - as some had feared - following in the footsteps of Marvel's most recent productions.