Marvel Television
The third episode of Marvel Television’s new series Daredevil: Born Again was released earlier this week and is receiving praise for its willingness to tackle a tricky subject: The Punisher’s logo and general ethos being co-opted by police officers.
The issue with police officers proudly adapting the logo and mindset of The Punisher is that the character is a violence-seeking vigilante, which is obviously not the purpose of the public service that are police officers, whose job is to uphold justice by protecting and serving.
Even The Punisher co-creator Gerry Conway has even spoken out against the phenomenon, saying its adopting by the police is “disturbing” and represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the character and his symbolic meaning.
“To me, it’s disturbing whenever I see authority figures embracing Punisher iconography because the Punisher represents a failure of the Justice system. […] So when cops put Punisher skulls on their cars or members of the military wear Punisher skull patches, they’re basically siding with an enemy of the system,” Conway said.
Acclaimed actor Jon Bernthal, who currently stars as Frank Castle / The Punisher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shared a similar sentiment in the wake of the domestic terrorism riot at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021.
I’m with you. Beautiful work. These people are misguided, lost, and afraid. They have nothing to do with what Frank stands for or is about. Big love. J. https://t.co/Q4GpaGW3ek
— Jon Bernthal (@jonnybernthal) January 12, 2021
Daredevil: Born Again has made the bold decision to tackle this social development head on, as a group of corrupt cops can be seen sporting tattoos of the logo in the latest episode, prompting praise from fans.
I’m so excited that #DaredevilBornAgain is tackling how the Punisher has become an unwitting icon to corrupt cops. Very glad they have the guts to do this story because it REALLY needed to be told, can’t wait to see Frank end them all pic.twitter.com/NtOtm9vGOm
— Jack (-_•) (@captaincupkicks) March 12, 2025
I did not have Daredevil: Born Again actually confronts how the police have co-opted the Punisher on my bingo card. I’m so ready for this. pic.twitter.com/Z2zdMGJN51
— Olivia Truffaut-Wong (@iWatchiAm) March 12, 2025
No, in this show, they’re adapting this story. These corrupt cops misusing the Punisher skull symbol are exactly who Frank Castle hates.He despises cops who support him or wear his symbol. It’s about justice, not personal gain. #Punisher #Daredevilbornagain https://t.co/SGggb4Q0vo pic.twitter.com/1OIPtt1yef
— Gabi MG (@GabiMG_News) March 7, 2025
Daredevil: Born Again stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk / Kingpin alongside Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Michael Gandolfini, Margarita Levieva, Wilson Bethel, Zabryna Guevara, Nikki M. James, Genneya Walton, Arty Froushan, Clark Johnson, Ayelet Zurer, Kamar de los Reyes, and Jon Bernthal.
The first three episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are now streaming on Disney+ (as of March 12), with new episodes airing on the streaming service on Wednesdays. Production on the second season began in February and is set to release early next year. You can check out the official trailer for the series below.