10 shocking facts about The Punisher that even die-hard fans didn’t know

MCU’s The Punisher, starring Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher, has become one of the fan-favorite Marvel characters.

First introduced in Marvel’s Netflix series Daredevil, Bernthal’s character later got his own show called The Punisher. He has also recently reprised his role in the new series, Daredevil: Born Again.

The Punisher tells the story of Frank Castle, who goes to extreme measures to avenge the death of his family. He vows to eliminate crime from New York City and becomes a vigilante without any empathy for criminals or remorse.

With the two series and a couple of guest appearances, viewers might still not know the details about Frank Castle’s life described in the comics. In this list, we have shared 10 facts about The Punisher that might have been missed even by the fans.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

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10) The many movies before the Marvel show

Many fans might not be aware that The Punisher has appeared on the big screen several times.

The vigilante appeared in two movies, The Punisher(2004) and The Punisher: War Zone(2008). However, Frank Castle's first movie came in 1989, The Punisher, and featured Dolph Lundgren as the New York vigilante.

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9) Frank Castle’s love for books

Due to his brutal and remorseless exterior, fans might not expect Frank Castle to be an avid reader.

Frank’s father was a construction worker, and his love for books came from his mother, who encouraged him to read.

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8) The Punisher’s first appearance on screen

Most people might not know that the character of The Punisher’s TV show debut was in an animated series, long before the Netflix series.

The New York Vigilante first appeared in a 1990s animated Spider-Man series, a weird debut series, as he couldn’t kill his enemies in a kids’ show.

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7) He is a war veteran

Another unknown fact about Frank Castle is that he served in the Vietnam War.

This might explain why he has always respected soldiers more than anyone and also idolizes the greatest fictional soldier, Captain America.

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6) The Punisher kills everyone in the Marvel Universe on an alternate Earth

Another shocking fact about the Punisher is that him being the ultimate supervillain on an alternate Earth.

According to the comic Marvel Universe, in Earth-95126, an alternate universe, The Punisher is responsible for killing the X-Men and the Avengers as he lost his family due to their continuous wars.

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5) He can withstand the Penance stare

Although fans know that The Punisher does not have superhuman powers, his combat skills and exceptional skills with weaponry make him formidable.

According to comics, even if he doesn’t have powers, the vigilante can withstand Ghost Rider’s one of the most powerful attacks: the Penance Stare. The attack makes the victim feel the pain they have caused other people in their lifetime. However, the punisher does not feel anything since he does not feel any guilt in killing the criminals.

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4) The Punisher’s struggle with rage

Most people might know that Frank Castle struggles with his mental health after losing his family. Due to this, he avenged their deaths and still kills the criminals without any remorse.

The Marvel comics, Punisher Max, touch on the topic that Frank Castle might have already had symptoms of psychotic tendencies before his family was killed and before he went to war.

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3) Fan of Captain America

Frank Castle always respected soldiers and is a huge fan of Captain America.

According to the Civil War Comics miniseries, The Punisher was in Captain America’s team in the war until he killed a couple of criminals. Enraged by the act, the Captain began to strike the vigilante and asked him to fight back, but he refused, telling him he would not fight back.

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2) The reason behind his skull symbol’s placement

The Punisher’s skull symbol is as popular as him. Moreover, it is also known that he hates it when someone else uses his symbol.

However, the reason behind the symbol’s placement on his chest might not be well-known. One of the reasons for its placement on the vigilante’s chest is to attract his enemies to fire on the symbol. He wears an extra layer of armor on his chest, and when the enemies fire at his chest, it doesn’t hit him, saving his life.

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1) He knows he is not a hero

Another shocking yet important fact about The Punisher might be his understanding of his own brutal activities.

He knows that by killing people, even if they are criminals, he is committing a huge crime, which means he is not a hero, and he has accepted this fact.

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