Marvel after Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones has come up yet again with another TV series which has gone on to amass critical acclaim and that is the Punisher .
People who are new to the super hero TV and cinematic universe, might consider it just another Marvel show featuring a vigilante fighting scums in city streets. However if you are someone like me who has grown up on Marvel and DC comics you will realize how amazing the Punisher really is. In all fairness it is perhaps the closest character Marvel has to DC’s Batman. The only exception being Frank Castle AKA The Punisher is as ruthless as they come and is not afraid to get his hands dirty.
The basis for a sustainable strategy for any brand is to cater to the consumer market. No matter how many fancy terms and definitions you assign to marketing at the core, the crux of the issue remains consistent throughout, which is to give what the consumers what they want. Marvel in our opinion has created a strong brand which has created a strong resonance with its fans and the same can be seen in The Punisher.
Marvel throughout its journey has successfully positioned as itself as a brand for everyone. With its witty and humorous Disney universe to its R rated shows on Netflix. Even in the TV space the brand successfully evolved from its original four heroes in the Defenders to its latest installment, the Punisher.
The Punisher is a unique and unconventional addition to the Marvel, super hero portfolio. For any brand to succeed over time it must have a point of differentiation and Punisher just offers that. So why is the Punisher so different? While most super heroes have had tragic back stories, the Punisher is someone who was extremely mature when all that happen.
Frank Castle aka the Punisher was already a trained man. He had marine experience and when he saw his wife and kid murdered he had all the necessary arsenal at his disposal. Most other super heroes who were victims of family tragedies were either young or not trained enough to take on the world. Batman lost his family when he was about ten, while superman was an infant when his planet was destroyed. Even Harry Potter was a year old when his parents died and was practically incapable at that point in team.
Frank Castle was a far different case. He was already a mature man and his wife and daughter were practically his entire universe. Naturally when a man of Castle’s expertise and training sees his family die like that, he has an inclination for revenge. The deaths of his loved ones made the audience realize of how tragic incidents can bring change someone’s personality.
Castle was part of a black ops mission to Afghanistan who was discarded immediately after the end of the mission. The deaths of his family members were closely associated with this mission and now Castle has dedicated his life targeting people in institutions that misuse their power.
Most conventional super heroes refrain from killing their enemies. But Castle doesn’t even shows an inch of mercy when it comes to dealing with his enemies. Castle despite not having any super powers uses his military experience and training to torture and hurt his foes in the worst possible ways.
The same brutal and unforgiving Castle has been portrayed in the TV series by Jon Bernthal and he has done an amazing job at it. The Punisher is now out on Netflix.
