Netflix’s Undisputed Best Sci-Fi Series Is Back With New Female Version Of Marvel’s Punisher

Published Oct 9, 2026, 10:24 PM EDT

Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot.

Punisher may not have the most creative or colorful costume in all of Marvel Comics, but like Moon Knight dressing in all white so that enemies see him coming, anyone unfortunate enough to see Punisher’s large white skull logo probably won’t be seeing much of anything for a whole lot longer. Plus, while so many Marvel characters who’ve been around for as long as Punisher have had a plethora of wardrobe changes in the last five decades, Punisher’s has remained somewhat untouchable and unmistakably recognizable.

Now, more than four years after the release of its first season, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is finally arriving later this month as a standalone limited series, establishing the Studio Trigger anime as an anthology inspired by the worldbuilding and themes of CD Projekt Red’s open-world action-RPG Cyberpunk 2077. It’s unknown why a choice this brazen was made when it would surely come with inescapable comparisons, but the dystopian, cyberware-saturated series will have a new character who looks more than a little bit like Punisher, and it’s hard not to see the resemblance.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Is Introducing Its Own Punisher

Debuting in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, a new character named Emily has been revealed. The details that have been shared about her thus far are that her birthday is on October 29, her blood type is B, she’s a Solo, and a member of Weak Kingsley’s crew. The most remarkable aspect of Emily’s character from a visual standpoint, however, is that she’s dressed like she’s virtually Marvel Comics’ Punisher, having a skull painted on her vest with ammo pouches mimicking the skull’s teeth.

Otherwise, distinct elements of Emily’s character design include at least one arm being almost fully sleeved in ink, and a pair of frameless glasses with purple lenses. It’ll be neat to see how she’s folded into the larger story and how significant Team King will be overall.

Punisher Is Having A Big Heyday Lately

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was an exercise in how popular Cyberpunk 2077 truly was, and it didn’t disappoint. And, while awaiting Cyberpunk 2, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 will help tide fans of the Cyberpunk franchise over. Ironically, it might take another four years for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 3 to be released, but it’s unclear how long it’ll be before we get the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2’s inspired design for Emily obviously isn’t meant to be an explicit crossover with Marvel, nor has Punisher staked a claim on painting a skull on your uniform as a potential form of intimidation. That said, it’s difficult to believe that whoever decided Emily would dress like this wasn’t expecting to have her outfit be immediately compared to the costume Frank Castle famously wears.

Either way, if nothing else, all this amounts to is even greater publicity for Marvel’s greatest antihero character. Punisher has been treated to numerous miniseries, crossovers, and guest appearances, with the latest event he’s a part of taking place within his own mainline, ongoing series. With any luck, Emily will be the Cyberpunk franchise’s own take on Punisher in every way possible, and be as violently discerning as the Marvel character she may well be inspired by or paying homage to.

Little has been shared about the story for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, and its teaser trailer admittedly doesn’t shine much of a light on it, either, beyond how action-packed it’ll be. As per the official website, Cyberpunk.net:

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 pulls you back into Night City, where lives become entangled to the extreme. Weak, a washed-up cyberpunk legend, is now forced to live without chrome as he searches for a sense of purpose in a world that’s passed him by.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on October 20, 2026.