Post-cancellation: Interview with The Punisher star Jason R. Moore

It’s unfortunate that Netflix cancelled The Punisher (and their other Marvel properties) but I was lucky enough to talk to show star, Jason Moore, about what he wanted from a third season and more!

I got the chance to speak with Jason Moore, who starred as Curtis Hoyle on both seasons of The Punisher. We chatted about Curtis’s character evolution from season one to season two, Moore’s hopes for the future of his character, storylines he would have liked to see further explored, and much more!

The cancellations of The Punisher and Jessica Jones signify the final nail in the coffin that is Marvel Netflix. are just the latest two in Netflix’s brutal takedown of all its Marvel television shows. Since Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist were already cancelled, they have officially put the final nail in the coffin of Marvel Netflix. It’s unfortunate most of these shows were axed in their prime but there is still hope these characters could live on to fight another day, either in another medium or perhaps on Disney’s own streaming service.

Hidden Remote: I’m really sorry that the show got cancelled, I was really excited about seeing how things were going to progress in a third season.

Jason Moore: I was too, I was looking forward to it. But once I saw what was happening with the other shows, I was fully anticipating it.

Hidden Remote: So did you want to talk a little bit about how Curtis evolved from season 1 to season 2?

Jason Moore: Season one, in terms of introducing Curtis, we had a solid idea of what he does and his position on things in contrast to the way the Punisher does things. He maintained the moral compass of the show and he kind of tried to wrangle Frank and keep him contained in an acceptable realm of behavior.

And coming out of that into season two, we got exposed to more of the relationship and how far Curtis was gonna go for his buddy, for his best friend, the one person that he knows definitely has his back. So we see a little bit of how far Curtis will go for that, but even that gets strained. Curtis steps out of the world of just being the straight and narrow good guy and gets out there, he breaks the law, takes a sniper rifle and points it at a cop’s head, he wouldn’t have done that in season one.

More from Netflix

• Bridgerton season 3: All the details to know about Penelope and Colin’s love story
• It’s a slow week on Netflix with only three new releases (Nov. 20)
• Exploding Kittens: From card game to Netflix animated series starring Tom Ellis
• The Crown and more Netflix shows and movies to stream this week (November 13)
• Escaping Twin Flames and more harrowing love-centered documentaries to watch on Netflix

Hidden Remote: I felt that their relationship was an anchor on the show. Curtis anchored Frank to his humanity. But by the end of season two he says he’s done with Frank, do you think that would have stuck moving forward?

Jason Moore: I think the story would have needed a little more explanation on their relationship, I have these questions too, that I posed to the showrunner.

When the time came we were gonna have it. I think that in season three we would have gone way deeper into the history of Curtis and Frank’s relationship and gotten more understanding as to why Curtis does these things for Frank and actually risks his life and freedom, why Curtis says things like “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.” We may need to see these two guys in battle or one of those moments that forged it, so we could understand the depth of their relationship.

Hidden Remote: Definitely, and on the flip side you have Curtis’s relationship with Billy. I love that one scene in season two where he tells Frank that he’s acting just like Billy.

Jason Moore: What’s interesting is that, that scene, there was originally more to it, and what you guys don’t get to see is there was a more of a struggle between Curtis and Frank. Curtis really had to snap Frank out of killing that guy. After Curtis protects the guy, you can see the tension building between Curtis and Frank a whole lot more. In terms of the show’s pacing, they cut the scene down a little bit.

Hidden Remote: And it’s implied that Curtis is ultimately the one to call Frank at the end when Billy is dying because he knew he would finish the job.

Jason Moore: Right, because Curtis, this goes without saying, but Curtis needs Frank to find closure so that’s why he doesn’t call Mahoney or Dinah. He’s like no, let me have Frank do it his way so it can heal him. And the reason why there’s no turning back between Curtis and Billy is because of the whole betrayal. Billy got Frank’s family killed, you can’t walk back from that. So Curtis is like “he’s gotta go.”

Hidden Remote: You mentioned Dinah, I’ve seen people who kind of wanted Dinah and Curtis together romantically. What do you think of that pairing?

Jason Moore: [Laughs] I don’t think Curtis could afford Dinah. You see what Curtis is driving right?  He’s got a beat up old Volkswagen. Dinah is in a high-rise condominium. So I don’t know if he could afford her. I’m kidding on that, but their scenes together, it was great working with her.

Hidden Remote: Did you want to talk a little about his relationship with Delia, how he had something stable and normal for a short while?

Jason Moore: It gave him something to ground him, and for him to protect and that was like his top priority. Frank’s BS, he didn’t want to be anywhere near it, because he knows what follows Frank. And he warns him, he says “hey I got something good going on here and I don’t want it around any of your sh*t” but of course, Frank is Frank, it follows him, and of course it impacts their relationship and we get a very brief instance of that. But I would love to see how Curtis would have fixed that. I think Curtis is a charming enough guy he would have been able to fix it.

Hidden Remote: Even though the show isn’t getting a third season, if there was somewhere else in the Marvel universe that you think Curtis could show up where do you think that would be?

Jason Moore: I think everywhere, you need a character like Curtis in almost every situation.

Hidden Remote: I was gonna say like the Avengers could use a group therapy session with Curtis.

Jason Moore: Oh yeah, they could definitely. That’d be pretty fun. Get Curtis in there talking to Captain America, have him having to talk the Hulk down, out of his rage. That’d probably be fun.

Hidden Remote: If you did get a season three, are there other characters on the show that you would have liked to work with more? I know Karen wasn’t technically a regular, but I would have liked to see them working together.

Jason Moore: Karen is such a sweetheart, I would have loved to have really had a scene with her and not just seen her in the hallways and the table reads. That character would have been great, more Dinah and Curtis would have been great, and of course the character who played Curtis’s girlfriend. When I first got that script, I was like oh we’re going to see more of her but then I guess they were gonna wait until season three to do that.

Hidden Remote: I’m hoping the show might find life on another platform or Disney might bring it back somehow, stranger things have happened.

Jason Moore: I’ll tell you what though, it might be really difficult to get this cast. If they’re going to reboot and bring in a new Punisher, they’re gonna wait until Jon Bernthal’s excellence wears off, and it’s gonna take some time for that to happen.

Hidden Remote: Speaking of Jon, I always thought you guys had really great chemistry. Did you work on the relationship off-screen?

Jason Moore: Jon just makes it real easy. He’s such a regular guy so it’s not difficult to relate to him. I mean we hang out, we just make sure that the bond is there, we have mutual respect and it produces great work.

Hidden Remote: Lastly, I was going to ask if you had any fun bonding stories from set to tell us that could maybe ease the pain of cancellation?

Jason Moore: Here’s the thing. I like cookies. So when craft comes around with cookies, Jon, who has to be the Punisher, and always in shape, and have to watch every calorie that he eats, hates that I’m on set, eating cookies and candy. He’s always chewing me out for the cookies and cake from craft he’s like “What grown man eats cookies?” I’m like “What are you talking about?” It was hilarious.

Hidden Remote: Now I kind of wish we had a scene of the Punisher eating cookies.

Jason Moore: I know right. Man those cookies were good all the time.

Hidden Remote: Well thanks so much for chatting with me and I wish you good luck with your future projects and keep my fingers crossed we see Curtis again in the future!

Jason Moore: Thank you! It was a pleasure.

What did you think about season two of The Punisher? Are you hoping to see the show revived in the future by Disney or elsewhere? What were some of your favorite Curtis moments from the show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Seasons one and two of The Punisher are currently streaming on Netflix.