"Marvel's The Punisher" panel scheduled for New York Comic Con on Saturday has been canceled, Marvel and Netflix announced Thursday, in light of the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas.
The upcoming Netflix original show features Marvel comics character Frank Castle, a military veteran who becomes a vigilante after his family is gunned down. The Punisher is a violent character and the show will feature many guns and shooting deaths, which producers thought might not play well with a real-life mass shooting looming large in the minds of the public.
"We are stunned and saddened by this week’s senseless act in Las Vegas," Netflix and Marvel said in a joint statement. "After careful consideration, Netflix and Marvel have decided it wouldn’t be appropriate for 'Marvel's The Punisher' to participate in New York Comic-Con. Our thoughts continue to be with the victims and those affected by this tragedy."
John Bernthal stars in the series, with the character having been introduced during Season 2 of "Daredevil" and then getting his own 13-episode spinoff.
Netflix has been teasing the show's release bus hasn't given a firm date. Many thought the date would be announced during the Comic Con panel.
On Sunday night in Las Vegas, 64-year-old retired accountant Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of music festival concertgoers from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino, killing 59 people and injuring more than 500 in the worst mass shooting of modern U.S. history.
New York Comic Con said it supported the decision and will try to fill the time slot with another panel, Deadline reported.
Twitter users reacted after Comic Con's "The Punisher" panel was pulled.
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