“We’re going to do our best to get it right and I hope you guys dig it.”

The Netflix team was full of surprises on day two of San Diego Comic-Con. The casts of Stranger Things and The Defenders surprised fans with a meet and greet and photo op, and best of all, Jon Bernthal from Marvel’s The Punisher showed up as a surprise guest during The Defenders panel!

The Punisher himself showed up just as Jeph Loeb mentioned that the panel would include surprises. He wasn’t kidding!

Bernthal immediately made clear how much this role means to him, thanking various heroes and fans of the character.

“Frank’s very much in my heart, and I’m eternally grateful to get another crack at him. And I just want to say to the members to the law enforcement community and to the ladies and men who serve this country in the military and to the comic book fans that Frank belongs to, we’re going to do our best to get it right and I hope you guys dig it.”

The Punisher cast also made their way through the San Diego Comic-Con press line, where they were asked various questions regarding their characters.

When discussing her character, Karen Page, Deborah Ann Woll stressed the importance of consistency.

“I’m really fighting as hard as I can to make sure that Karen is consistent, that every new writer that has a vision can put their own stamp on it but remembers that at the core we have a Karen.”

She continued by discussing Karen’s relationship with Frank.

“I do like that she challenges him. I think that’s great. I like that they understand each other. I like that she’s not scared of him – that the whole world sees him as this scary monster and for Karen he’s not that. Because, if he’s a monster then what is she? She’s done something similar to him. So it’s important for Karen that Frank be recognized as a hero.”

Jon Bernthal once again expressed his gratitude to the law enforcement and military community.

“Frank, as I’ve said before, lives in my heart. It’s a character that means a lot to me and I really want us to get it right. That’s all I care about. It’s a character that resonates deeply in the law enforcement community and the military community. There’s people who have fought for this country with the Punisher logo on their armor and it’s just something I take real seriously and I desperately want to get it right.”

Talking a little about his character, Frank Castle, Bernthal revealed we would get a deeper look at Frank.

“I think we take a pretty deep dive. I think we’re going to show sides of Frank Castle that you haven’t seen before in the comics and other films… I hope it resonates, I hope you can dig it.”

When discussing comic book fans, Bernthal expressed his love for their loyalty.

“The comic book audience is the most intelligent and loyal audience out there. I’m grateful that I’ve gotten to be a part of these comic book franchises and get to know people and get out on the road and meet people and I’m deeply deeply grateful for their loyalty and their belief in me and I very much do not want to let them down.”

There’s two more days of fun at San Diego Comic Con 2017, so be sure to join us and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat @HelloNerdeek!

Don’t forget to keep a watch out for our San Diego Comic Con 2017 Review. We break it down for the ones who attended and the ones who want to make it for the future.

THE PUNISHER is set to premiere on NETFLIX  in 2017.