The Punisher Killing His Version Of Foggy Totally Changes How You Look At His Reaction To The Character’s Death In Daredevil: Born Again
The tragic death of Foggy Nelson in Daredevil: Born Again sparked an interesting reaction from the Punisher, but it starts to make sense when considering how Frank Castle killed his version of Foggy in the MCU. After starring in two seasons of his self-titled show, the Punisher is back in the MCU as a side character in Daredevil: Born Again. So far, he has only shared one scene with Matt Murdock – though it turned out to be a very emotionally charged and consequential conversation that helped to re-establish the Punisher’s code of ethics and compassion.
It was a stunning return to form (even if we didn’t get to see him in action) from Jon Bernthal and reminded audiences of how Castle’s unerring sense of justice may clash with Matt Murdock’s, but it comes from a good place. Ultimately, during their argument in Daredevil: Born Again episode 4, Frank Castle made a convincing case against Matt Murdock’s adherence to righteous restraint when taking down the worst criminals of Hell’s Kitchen. This is probably because Frank Castle speaks in this instance from a place of painful experience.
Billy Russo Was In Many Ways The Punisher’s Version Of Foggy Nelson Throughout A Portion Of His Life
Frank Castle And Billy Russo Were Brothers-In-Arms
Before Billy Russo would betray his brother-in-arms and ultimately twist into Punisher Season 2’s Jigsaw, he was Frank Castle’s best friend. As soldiers, the two share past trauma and a bond that should have been unbreakable, similar to how Foggy and Matt’s endured hardships help to cement their already airtight friendship throughout the course of Daredevil. Further still, the characters act as tethers to the real world outside of vigilantism, with Russo being a permanent reminder of Frank Castle’s life before his vigilantism.
This gives both Russo and Foggy the shared privilege of knowing the men behind the masks (figuratively speaking, in the case of the Punisher, of course). Both are uniquely aware of their respective best friends’ true persona, and while Russo would tread a darker path, symbolizing what Frank Castle could have warped into if he wasn’t so stringently tied to his moral compass, Foggy embodies the man he wants Matt to be. That is, an upholder of justice who puts his faith in the system to bring about his noble ends.
Why The Punisher Ended Up Killing Billy Russo In His Netflix Series
Frank Castle Killed Jigsaw Out Of Mercy
Billy Russo turns into a villain after serving in the military with Frank Castle in Punisher. This leads him to collaborate with the strings-pulling William Rawlins (AKA Agent Orange) in exchange for financial gain and the success of his private military company, Anvil. This collaboration led to the killing of Frank Castle’s family, a cornerstone moment that turns Castle into the Punisher and sets him on a bloody path of vengeance.
Despite his vengeful motivations, the Punisher stops short of killing his erstwhile best friend.
Despite his vengeful motivations, the Punisher stops short of killing his erstwhile best friend. Instead, seeing how Russo has become narcissistic, Castle opts to disfigure him, leading to a scarred face and a fragmented memory. Unfortunately, Russo’s villainous ways reemerge despite his general amnesia, causing Frank to step into his path once again. Still, when Frank strikes the final blow and kills his brother-in-arms, it is done so out of mercy instead of vengeance, ostensibly using the moment to put Russo out of his misery.
How The Punisher Having To Kill Billy Russo Changes What His Reaction To Foggy’s Death Looks Like
Frank Castle Is Intimately Aware Of Matt’s Situation
Image via Disney+
This tragic arc undergone by Frank Castle and his painful decision to kill his version of Foggy sheds a new light on his reaction to Foggy’s death. His emotionally charged argument with Matt comes from a place of empathy, as Castle is intimately aware of what Matt is going through after losing Foggy to Bullseye. When launching on a tirade against Matt and his merciful ways, Punisher knows exactly how to push Matt’s buttons by uttering the line, “What about old Foggy? He get life?” in response to Matt’s insistence that Bullseye’s life imprisonment was suitable recompense for Foggy’s murder.
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Punisher’s argument for killing Bullseye carries extra weight when recognizing that when Frank Castle killed Jigsaw, he was killing the villain that had ostensibly already taken the life of the best friend he once knew and loved. Killing Jigsaw was a kind of mercy that Foggy Nelson was never granted due to Bullseye being kept alive long enough to commit his heinous crime in Daredevil: Born Again, episode 1. It is far easier, then, to empathize with Frank Castle’s reaction in this moment – further securing him as one of the MCU’s most sympathetic superheroes.
9/10
- Release Date
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March 4, 2025
- Showrunner
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Chris Ord
- Directors
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Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
- Writers
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Chris Ord
