The Punisher is confirmed to return inDaredevil: Born Again, but much like Daredevil himself, this gruff antihero could be recharacterized in his transition into the mainline Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel fans are abuzz with the news that Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle alongside Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock in theDaredevilreboot. But it’s likely that the Punisher won’t be anywhere near as brutal and badass as he was on Netflix when he moves to Disney+.
Daredevil fans got what they’d spent years clamoring for when Cox reprised the role inthe penultimate episode ofShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s first season. Cox was as charismatic as ever in the role of Daredevil in hisShe-Hulkepisode, but his character was drastically different. He had an all-new costume with a golden tinge to foreshadow his lighter characterization. He exhibited an abundance of MCU-style self-aware humor; he joked about his use of “echolocation” and the fact that a guy dressed as the Devil doesn’t immediately seem like the good guy.
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She-Hulk’s writers tossed the gritty realism of Daredevil’s Netflix series out the window in favor of quippy one-liners and less grounded, more comic-booky physicality. In his new incarnation, the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen cracks jokes in the midst of fight scenes and jumps off of moving cars without sustaining a scratch. He scales the side of a parking lot in seconds. Daredevil’s new characterization might have just been a one-off change to put him in line withShe-Hulk’s tone as a wacky superhero sitcom. But it seems more likely that his appearance inShe-Hulkwas a soft reboot of the character showing fans what he would be like in his subsequent MCU appearances – particularly in his own series,Daredevil: Born Again.
This is an ominous sign for the Punisher’s role inDaredevil: Born Again. The Punisher is an even darker, grimmer character than Daredevil with much less room to be MCU-ified. After making his debut in Daredevil’s original series, the Punisher’s spin-off series was filled to the brim with gruesome, uncompromising violence. In one particularly gory sequence, Frank takes on a gym full of bodybuilders by hitting them with weights – it’s a bloodbath. The Punisher is modeled after thevengeful vigilantes played by Charles Bronsonin movies likeDeath WishandMr. Majestyk, and the Bronson persona is poorly suited to a PG-13 sensibility.
Daredevil could afford to be lightened up in his transition into the MCU. He always had a sense of humor; his quips and one-liners have simply been dialed up to make him feel more at home in the MCU. Daredevil will eventually be integrated into the larger Avengers ensemble, so it makes sense to retool the character slightly to line him up with the tone of theAvengersmovies. His banter with Jen Walters is a promising sign for his scenes withfellow MCU heroes like Spider-Man, Deadpool, and Captain America in possible future team-ups. But the Punisher’s character is defined by his grief and anguish, so there’s not much room for jokes, and he’s a lone wolf who won’t be joining the Avengers any time soon.
Daredevil could adapt to the house style of the MCU, but the Punisher can’t. He’s driven by pain and suffering. He wouldn’t interrupt his blood-soaked crusade to make a wisecracking remark – it’s just not his style. Marvel’s signature “That just happened” or “It sounded better in my head” kind of humor would be a real disservice to the character. There’s a sort of morbid, ironic humor in just how far Frank pushes his retribution against the people who have wronged him. But pitch-black comedy isn’tthe comedic brand that Marvel Studios is known for; the MCU tends to go for goofier jokes and sight gags.
As exciting as it is that Bernthal will be back as the Punisher, Marvel fans shouldn’t expect to see the same character that they saw on Netflix. There is a glimmer of hope in the fact that Disney allowed Marvel tomakeMoon Knightas violent as it is. Netflix’sPunisherseries was so shocking and gory that there’s a huge patch of middle ground to cover before he becomes too Disney-ized. But if the Punisher has his edges softened too much for the streaming-waves of Disney+, then he won’t really feel like the Punisher anymore; he’ll be more like the Reprimander or the Stern Warning-Giver.
If the Punisher is lightened up for his supporting role inDaredevil: Born Again, it’ll be a shame, but it won’t be the end of the world. Once he’s appeared inBorn Again, the Punisher will be officially integrated into the MCU, at which point Marvel can let him take center stage in a hard-R solo project. Bernthal’s Punisher could wreak all the blood-drenched havoc he’s renowned for inan R-rated $40 million solo movie.
