How Daredevil: Born Again Tackles the Punisher's Real-World Legacy

[Warning: The following contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Daredevil: Born Again.]

The Punisher was never intended to be a role model. Usually characterized as an extremist loner, he's a killer whose brutal tactics separate him from Marvel's mainstream heroes. His 1970s comic book debut actually introduced him as a villain: a homicidal Marine Corps veteran who tries to assassinate Spider-Man. Now a recurring character in the adult-rated corner of the MCU, Jon Bernthal's version is a creature of swaggering machismo and unchecked rage, using his military training to murder dozens of gangsters and mercenaries.

In Daredevil: Born Again Episode 4, he returns for a brief but emotionally charged guest role, taunting Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) about his decision to stay (more or less) on the right side of the law. But before Frank appears on screen, his legacy already haunts the show's exploration of criminal justice in New York City. For some people in this universe, he has become a role model, in a manner that purposefully references the controversial nature of the Punisher's real-world fanbase. In fact, Matt Murdock and Frank Castle's reunion takes place due to the actions of a Punisher copycat.

Discovering an unkempt Frank holed up in a basement storage room, Matt explains that he's here on business. One of Matt's clients, a vigilante named Hector Ayala, has just been murdered — most likely by a member of the NYPD. "Guess whose logo I found on the bullet casing?" Matt asks. The answer? The Punisher's stylized skull, of course.

"Oh, for Christ's sake," Frank mutters. "Bunch of bullsh-- fanboys, huh?" 

"Yeah, and a lot of them are cops," Matt replies.

During Netflix's original Daredevil series and its Punisher-centric spin-off, Frank Castle became a figure of public notoriety, representing the most violent and bloodthirsty end of the vigilante spectrum. Since then, his reputation has expanded beyond Frank's personal control. The first three episodes of Born Again introduce crooked cops with Punisher logo tattoos, and a piece of graffiti featuring his symbol and the word "triggered." His image has been co-opted by people who celebrate violence and cruelty, reflecting a similar phenomenon in real life. 

Alongside its popularity among military service members, the Punisher logo has become associated with police brutality and far-right politics. In 2017, a Kentucky police department faced criticism for decorating their cars with the Punisher symbol and the slogan "Blue Lives Matter," and numerous cops have been photographed wearing Punisher merchandise. The Punisher skull has also been spotted among far-right militias like the Three Percenters, and on rioters on January 6 — something that Jon Bernthal spoke out against at the time. 

Unlike the relatively neutral image of a superhero like Spider-Man or Wonder Woman, there's really no way to find a positive spin on someone who wears a Punisher skull while carrying a gun. When combined with a uniform, it can be read as an outright threat, emphasizing the idea that cops are above the law. 

Branding-wise, this leaves Marvel and Disney in an uncomfortable position. The Punisher's co-creator Gerry Conway has condemned the character's law enforcement fanbase, tweeting in 2019, "Any 'cop' who wears a Punisher logo in his official capacity is identifying law enforcement with an outlaw." He added that this should be a fireable offence on the grounds that it signaled "an imbecilic level of irresponsibility."

More recently, Marvel has attempted to rebrand the Punisher with a revamped logo, and published a comic where Frank Castle openly rejects the support of cops who idolize him. However, this hasn't solved the problem. The Punisher's brand has escaped containment, and even if Marvel retired the character and dedicated a lot more money to trademark lawsuits (an unlikely option for a profit-driven entity), the dark side of his fandom is already fully entrenched. In Daredevil: Born Again, Frank Castle faces a similar situation. 

"What's that got to do with me?" he growls when Matt draws attention to his homicidal law enforcement fanbase. "Yeah," Matt replies sarcastically. "Nothing to do with you, right. Silly me." Which is fair enough, because while Frank didn't set out to inspire anyone, there's a certain kind of person who always gravitates toward symbols of violence and notoriety.

The Punisher's role in Born Again doubles as a statement about his politicized image in real life, acknowledging how far his distasteful legacy has spread. When we see cops with Punisher tats in the first couple of episodes, we immediately understand that it's a red flag. One of them literally tries to kill Matt — a disabled defense lawyer who is, at the time, attempting to protect a vulnerable witness. In this storyline, the NYPD is depicted as an insular and vengeful gang, framing an innocent man for murder.  It's easy to see why some of these officers idolize the Punisher, and it has nothing to do with what Frank Castle wants or believes as a person. His logo just represents a hunger for brutality and revenge, with subtextual right-wing undercurrents — for instance, the use of the word "triggered," and the fact that the cops' Punisher tattoos include a stylized U.S. flag on the forehead. 

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Toward the end of his cameo scene this week, Frank reminds Matt (and the audience) why he embarked on his original violent rampage. Traumatized by the murder of his wife and son, he processed his grief through a quest for revenge. With no remaining ties to civilian life, this quest has become a defining element of his identity — so much so that he tries to persuade Matt to embrace a similar route. 

Seeing that Matt is grieving the loss of his best friend Foggy (Elden Henson), he goads Matt into lashing out, taunting him for letting Foggy's murderer go to jail. Frank's belief system is a simple kind of outlaw individualism: If someone kills a person you love, then that person needs to die. Emotionally speaking, this was Matt's immediate instinct in the wake of Foggy's death. But in the cold light of day, he understands that this isn't what Foggy would have wanted, as a decent man who always held Matt to a higher moral standard. If anything, this reunion with the Punisher reinforces Matt's decision to hang up the Daredevil mantle and focus on his legal career. Rather than being someone to emulate, Frank Castle is a cautionary tale.

New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again stream Tuesdays at 9/8c on Disney+.