Why Marvel’s Daredevil is the Perfect Place to Introduce the Punisher into the MCU

Word of warning: there may be some spoilers for season 1 of Daredevil in here.

Season 2 of Daredevil is upon us and if season 1 is anything to go by, it is going to be good. Daredevil was a huge success for both Marvel and Netflix. I even know quite a few people who got a Netflix account exclusively to watch the show. The 13 episode timeframe allowed the story to develop at a steady pace. The writers obviously had a clear idea of how they wanted to tell the story and stuck to their guns. The Kingpin was a huge part of the series (with an incredible performance from Vincent D'Onofrio) and he was not introduced on screen until the very end of episode 3. His presence was certainly felt and his story almost mirrored Matt Murdock's. Both men seek to save their city, but they have very different ideas about how to do this. With the Kingpin behind bars (for now, you know what TV shows are like) where could the show go from here?

This is where the Punisher comes in. For those of you who don't know, the Punisher, also known as Frank Castle, is a vigilante who seeks justice by any means necessary. After witnessing the murder of his wife and child during a mob shooting, he begins a one-man war of vigilante justice, 'war' being the operative word. He seemingly has no qualms with using extreme force to protect his city, using a wide range of weapons to lay down the law. Any casualties are just collateral damage to his justice. Of course, as a lawyer, Matt Murdock knows a thing or two about justice too.

Introducing the Punisher in Daredevil's second season offers a different threat to Wilson Fisk. Though he could be ruthless, Fisk was a calculated villain. He always had a plan and a number of followers who would help him out if needed. Frank Castle is more of a force of nature, dishing out justice to those he believes deserve it. As a man of the law, albeit one who goes out at night and beats people within an inch of their lives, Matt Murdock knows that he has to stop the Punisher's extreme methods. This will be interesting to see played out on screen.

But why is Daredevil in particular the ideal place to introduce the Punisher to the MCU? Firstly, the tone of Daredevil was unlike anything Marvel had produced before. Overall, Daredevil is much darker and grittier than any of the other Marvel Studios productions. It is also much more violent than anything else Marvel have made, which is why I think the Punisher will fit in perfectly. His 'no nonsense' brand of justice will match some of the more extreme scenes in season one, particularly the Kingpin at the end of episode 4 or the fight with Nobu in episode 9. If this version of the Punisher is faithful to the comics, we are certainly in for some violent episodes.

Because Marvel have stated that Daredevil is a "crime drama first, superhero show second", there will also be an interesting storyline regarding how Matt Murdock deals with the Punisher's activities as a lawyer. It can be assumed that the Punisher will draw the attention of the police with his lethal justice, so this will be a two way battle for Matt Murdock. As Daredevil, he will be directly involved with stopping him but as a lawyer, he will inevitably have to deal with the consequences. Perhaps one of the clients will be a widow of one of the Punisher's victims, or could Frank Castle himself seek Nelson and Murdock's legal counsel after the death of his family? This is just speculation on my part, but perhaps he seeks the advice of the law and is dissatisfied when they are unable to help - pushing him to take the law into his own hands.

So, with all of this in mind, this is why Daredevil season two is the perfect entry point for the Punisher into the MCU. Including Frank Castle into Murdock's already complicated series about law and enforcement is a perfect match for this ruthless vigilante. As we've seen with the MCU, Marvel are not afraid to take risks, which is why Daredevil season two is so exciting. Season one was a huge success and many fans were clamouring for more straight away. The addition of a character as violent as the Punisher is another risk, but it is a risk I believe Marvel will get right.