So ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ really went there with Frank Castle
There is a now infamous comic storyline with the Punisher. He takes on cops using his symbol and shuts it down. It has real world inspiration and was recently a big topic of conversation during the BLM protests of 2020.
In the storyline, Frank sees cops using his Punisher logo and the ones he meet say they’re a big fan of his work. He takes the logo from the cop, crushes it, and says that they should idolize Captain America, not him, as he operates outside the law they’re supposed to uphold. It’s timely, relevant, and now ended up in Daredevil: Born Again.
The show (which is a continuation of the Netflix series Daredevil) isn’t afraid of hard hitting storylines. This season alone had a serial killer in Muse and the wrongful death of White Tiger. Show gets into some heavy topics. But I was surprised they actually went there with Frank Castle and I hope they do more.
During the finale, Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) and Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) end up working together after Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) asked Frank to help. It is the second time this season we have seen Frank and the second time that we saw him engage in the conversation about the police. Which is a storyline that comes straight from the comics.
In the comic, the cops have a “movement” and use Frank’s symbol to represent them. When he finds out, Frank tells the police “I’ll say this once. We’re not the same. You took an oath to uphold the law. You help people. I gave all that up a long time ago, you don’t do what I do. Nobody does. You boys need a role model? His name is Captain America, and he’d be happy to have you.”
Frank is right, he’s not a role model for cops
Back in 2020, we saw a rise in police officers using the Punisher logo for a number of reasons. It was infuriating to see, especially since Frank addressed this in the comics. These so called “fans” ignored what Frank Castle said and used his symbol anyway in the real world and to see Born Again tackle that did mean a lot.
Not that I ever thought Bernthal’s Frank would side with these kind of men. But I wasn’t sure that Marvel would lean into the anti-cop ideals that accompany it. It isn’t against the police as a whole but does send a very clear message to those cops who try to take the law into their own hands and ignore their duties. Frank Castle wants justice and revenge. Cops should not be motivated by the “revenge” portion of that.
The Punisher logo is one that stands for a lot of things. He’s vicious, unwavering, and a man you want on your side, not against you. Those are all qualities that you should not see in the police force and Frank calling cops out is a beautiful sight to see.
(featured image: Giovanni Rufino/Disney+)
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