Warning! This article contains major SPOILERS for Daredevil: Born Again
The Punisher is due to return inDaredevil: Born Again, and the newMCUshow has just set up the most incredible story. Marvel Studios has closely tied Punisher to Daredevil after the Defenders saga,which is now MCU canon, saw them cross paths in a big way. Jon Bernthal’s take on theimmensely popular Marvel characterstruck a chord with fans. Since subsequently featuring in theDaredevil: Born Againtrailer, his return to the MCU is among the most highly anticipated as the series approaches its fourth episode.
Daredevil: Born Againactively foreshadows the Punisher’s returnthroughout the first three episodes. During this time, Matt Murdock relinquished the Daredevil persona following his attempted murder of Foggy Nelson’s killer, Benjamin Poindexter (who has yet to be ascribed the Bullseye moniker). Unfortunately (for Matt, at least), a simmering undercurrent of corruption and police brutality has been tempting him back into the role as he begins to recognize the futility of pursuing Foggy’s preferred route of above-board justice. It’s here where Frank Castle’s imminent return is repeatedly teased as his presence, or lack thereof, can be felt in Hell’s Kitchen.
Punisher Has Already Been A Major Presence In Daredevil: Born Again
His Signature Skull Symbol Has Been Appearing Everywhere
Frank Castle was last seen delivering his unique brand of lethal justice in his solo series,The Punisher, in 2019. He has yet to emerge inDaredevil: Born Again, but his presence has been felt throughout the two latest episodes.Wilson Fisk first references the Punisher in his New Year’s Eve addressto New York, asserting that the city doesn’t need “a gun-toting vigilante who wears a skull on his chest.” The skull that Fisk refers to then appears later in the same episode as a tattoo on the forearm of a corrupt cop attacking Matt Murdock.
Daredevil: Born Again’s upcoming villain, Muse, has also spray-painted the Punisher’s skull symbol on a wall with the tagline “Triggered.”
This establishes a motif that returns inDaredevil: Born Again,episode 3, during Hector Ayala’s trial. As Murdock gears up to introduce his star witness, Nicky Torres,another Punisher tattoo appears on the neck of another cop asserting that Torres cannot testify, knowing it would expose police corruption. These small appearances pale in comparison, however, to the final shot of the episode, in which Hector Ayala -operating as White Tiger- is executed by a figure sporting a vest emblazoned with the Punisher symbol. This is unlikely to be Punisher himself, but it does tee up an incredible return.
Frank Castle May Be A One-Man Army Against New York’s Corrupt Officers
Image via Disney+
The Punisher logo has been co-opted by a sect of corrupt cops doling out extrajudicial justice to their enemies, evidently inspired by Punisher’s own modus operandi. Hector Ayala’s trial arises from such an instance in which Officers Powell and Shanahan were intercepted when whaling on their informant, Nicky Torres. This corruption is later revealed to extend further than these two during the trial, where the aforementioned neck tattoo appears, and Nicky Torres is intimidated by the contingent of police in the courtroom into refuting the incident entirely.
Why Punisher’s Logo Is Different In The MCU (& Why The Dirty Cops Use It)
The Punisher’s logo appears briefly at the end of Daredevil: Born Again episode 2, begging the question of why it looks different and who uses it.
This, and the subsequent murder of White Tiger at the behest of Fisk, should seriously rile up the Punisher. While it remains unclear if he is aware of his symbol being commandeered by corruption,I expect Punisher’s vengeance will be swift, brutal, and widespread. While Matt Murdock’s inevitable return to vigilantism would see their lives spared, Punisher harbors no such restraint, and audiences could bear witness to a bloodbath as he eliminates the corruption with extreme prejudice as a one-man army against an as-yet-unspecified legion of villainous police.
Punisher Needs To Reclaim His Symbol In The MCU
The Moment Could Mirror A Similar Scene From Marvel Comics
Daredevil: Born Againdoesn’t shy away from drawing real-world parallels.Although it is not the case that anyone bearing the Punisher symbol is corrupt or engages in police brutality, there exists a real-world trend in which police officers and military personnel lionize the Punisher’s extrajudicial techniques. A high-profile example involves a renegade group of police officers based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who called themselves “The Punishers” and bore the Punisher’s skull symbol on their uniforms. This, ironically, is the kind of behavior that the Punisher would rally against, with Marvel Comics even tackling the issue.
I’m heartened to see that Daredevil: Born Again isn’t giving politics a wide berth, instead embracing the inherently philosophical story of Daredevil and Kingpin.
This is something that the MCU could stand to replicate. I’m heartened to see thatDaredevil: Born Againisn’t giving politicsa wide berth, instead embracing the inherently philosophical story of Daredevil and Kingpin. I would imagine, therefore, that Punisher will not hold back when he discovers that his symbol is being misused by figures of authority supposed to uphold the law. This at least appears to be whereDaredevil: Born Againis headed, as Matt Murdock can be seen encountering Castle in the trailer in a moment that now looks like an attempt to draw him out of retirement.
