The long-anticipated return of Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle introduced his brand of brutal justice officially tothe MCU timeline.
In doing so, Marvel opted to confront a huge real-world issue that has plagued Punisher for years.
His return inDaredevil: Born Againwas confirmed early in production, stoking particular excitement.
Police officers across the United States especially those aligned with the Blue Lives Matter movement have embraced the logo.
Its appeared on patrol cars, tactical gear, and even official department merchandise.
More alarmingly, its also been used by far-right militia groups and hate organizations.
Custom image by Ana Nieves
This appropriation has sparked widespread backlash, with even Marvel writers and artists condemning its use.
Honestly, hes right.
Punisher is a man driven to murderous revenge by overwhelming grief, not the paragon of modern justice.
This new design was insteadinspired by the Japanese mythological demon, Oni.
This was Marvels attempt to reclaim the character from the real-world associations he had unwillingly picked up.
The new logo was symbolic:a rejection of what his old one had come to mean.
This directly parallels the real-world adoption of Punishers logo by law enforcement.
Except, inDaredevil: Born Again,Punisher gets a chance to respond.
They wear his skull.
They follow his methods.
Theybelieve they are his legacy.
Frank Castle rejects them wholly and unreservedly.
Punisher tells Powell that none of them truly understand who he is.
He calls out theirwarped interpretation of his missionand strips away the romanticism.
Its one of the most powerful moments in the episode and in the MCU as a whole.
He sees them as pretenders.
Worse he sees them as dangerous.
Your Rating
Your comment has not been saved
Cast
Upcoming MCU Movies
