In the two episode premiere for the long awaited Daredevil: Born Again, The Punisher, who we all knew would be in the show as he’s in every single trailer, is teased in a way that was very unexpected.
SPOILERS BELOW.
LAST WARNING FOR SPOILERS.
In episode two, Matt Murdock decides to take on Hector Ayala, the White Tiger, as a client after he overhears some cops beating on him. Ayala is accused of murdering a police officer when, truly, he was trying to help a seemingly innocent man that officer and his partner were beating on. In the scuffle, one of the cops trips and falls into an oncoming train, and is then arrested by the remaining officer. The only way Matt will be able to successfully defend Ayala is to find the person who the cops were beating up, who ran away when Ayala intervened. Matt follows one of the dirty cops, listens to a phone call he takes, hears the witness’s address, then beats the cops there, successfully saving the witness. However, the cops do not take that lightly and intend to kill Matt until he takes them both down, possibly killing one of them.
Just before the fight, we see this on one of the cop’s wrists.
I was shocked to see this included as part of the story of Daredevil: Born Again. It mimics some very politically charged events that have happened over the past several decades. This has been less of the case recently, but the logo was seen during the George Floyd protests and riots on police officers and armed civilians. The logo has been used by some more extreme members of the military, it’s been used by white nationalists at rallies and demonstrations, ISIS sympathizers have used it, and it’s been a symbol for tough law enforcement, support for gun rights and the second amendment, and more. For Disney to use the logo in a way that pretty directly mirrors political events now is something I certainly did not expect.
So, what is The Punisher’s logo doing on the wrist of a dirty cop and what does it mean for the story?
The public has, at least partially, turned against vigilantism in Daredevil: Born Again. It’s a big talking point of Wilson Fisk’s campaign for mayor, and the removal of vigilantes is a promise he makes to all New Yorkers. It seems like cops generally are against vigilantism as they don’t want the law being taken into the hands of others and out of their own. So, why would the cops get the logo of a vigilante tattooed on themselves?
Maybe the NYPD is feeling as if they need to take more extreme measures so they aren’t replaced by vigilantes. If they are doing what the vigilantes do, then they may feel less threatened by their presence. They may be trying to send a message to New Yorkers that they can still do the job they were hired to do and, if “necessary”, are willing to go beyond the usual methods of law enforcement. Like The Punisher, they are willing to kill those they feel go against New York City.
Naturally, The Punisher himself is probably going to have a lot to say about the use of his logo. Police officers are meant to uphold the law within the confines of the law. They are not supposed to go around hurting and killing people because, well, no one is. The Punisher is absolutely a criminal, and he knows it. Frank Castle is well aware that the things he does are against the law. I imagine the use of his logo by crooked cops is why he makes his reappearance in Born Again. Maybe he’s been in New York the entire time, or maybe Matt Murdock reaches out to him, but, without a doubt, he’s going to be back with a vengeance.
On top of providing a narrative reason for The Punisher to return, Disney may be using this as a way to take an active stance against the way his logo has been used. If crooked cops are using the logo, within the show, to represent tough justice and law enforcement, then The Punisher shows up and kills or beats the hell out of them, that would send a pretty clear message. Marvel Comics has done something similar over the years and even went as far as changing Frank Castle’s logo albeit to a lot of backlash.
At the moment, it ultimately just doesn’t make a lot of sense for the cops to adopt the identity of a vigilante, something they don’t like. We’re only two episodes in and more will be revealed as we go.
What do you think about Punisher’s logo being tattooed onto a crooked cop? Let me know in the comments!