Over the last several years, there are just moments in the superhero movie genre that fans loved at the moment of watching and will go back to. These moments are immortalized due to the impact and rememberability of them. It could be a quick scene, a line of dialogue, a conversation, a swell of music. There will always be something fans will be fully invested in once it’s on screen. Recently one those moments gets more backbone in Daredevil: Born Again. One of the best elements of not only the series but of all the superhero genre is the relationship between Daredevil and The Punisher. Every scene where they are together is always a hit. Top tier level of storytelling. So captivating when they are together. From the first scene when they are fighting on the rooftop to them bickering in Punisher’s bunker is the best. These are moments that rank up there with the biggest moments across the movies just on the sheer quality of the bond Daredevil and The Punisher have.
One element that makes it so great is that there is obvious disdain for each other. Even though they are on the same side so to speak, they are still at odds. ‘Heroes’ that fight. Coming from Daredevil’s point of view, he was raised with strong faith and belief. That guides his moral compass. He’ll inflict all the pain on a criminal as much as he can without killing them. Daredevil leaves them bloodied, beaten, bruised, weak and broken but never dead. That gets The Punisher riled up and puts him on a moral and physical collision course with Daredevil. Obviously, The Punisher puts his enemies down permanently. Because of their drives, they have traces of hatred for each other. Daredevil hates the Punisher because how easily, how willingly he kills people. That is a threat to Daredevil’s mission and faith. On the flip side, The Punisher hates Daredevil, because he knows Daredevil lacks the conviction to fully take someone out. By letting the criminal live, that allows more opportunity for them to cause more harm. The Punisher hates to see that as well. And each man sees the drive of the other as a weakness. Something they want to stomp which means is something they must confront constantly.
But at the same time, there is respect that goes both ways. The Punisher is clearly and explosively shown that he is willing to cross off anyone that crosses him. His style to do that, is messy. His patience for people that give him a hard time, people who get in his way is very short to non-existent. He makes sure anyone who does that goes down and stays down. Yet, he is not that way with Daredevil. Daredevil crossed him many times. The Punisher did attempt to take him out when they first met but after that he gave Daredevil the benefit of the doubt and gave him second chances. Why? Perhaps, The Punisher knows that Daredevil is willing to get dirty to get rid of crime. Even though Daredevil doesn’t go all the way to take out the enemy, Daredevil does reveal a dark side in front of The Punisher. The Punisher goes all the way to get the job done and to see someone get brutal on criminals, may have The Punisher tip his hat to him. Perhaps another reason is Daredevil’s persistence to spot a redeeming factor inside The Punisher. That persistence did save him a few times. He owes Daredevil his life. Daredevil’s skills, brutality, persistence, and mission is something that The Punisher acknowledges. No better sign of respect The Punisher could give Daredevil is when he said “You’ll make a great Marine, Red”.
From Daredevil’s perspective, he does see a monster at first glance. He did what he can to fight the monster. But Daredevil’s view on The Punisher changed when he was told of Punisher’s tragic origin. He saw a man. A saw that he loved and was loved. And in an instant, his world was gunned downed. The anger The Punisher carries with him during his crusade may not be excusable but a small part of it is understandable. From there, Daredevil sympathizes with The Punisher because he knows what it’s like to lose people. That puts them on similar ground. Different paths. But similar ground. Due to Daredevil realizing there is some humanity in The Punisher, always leaves Daredevil believing that there is a redemption arc for The Punisher. He understands the pain. He doesn’t accept or respect what The Punisher does but he without doubt understands the why. While other people are quick to judge The Punisher, quick to put him in the image they want, Daredevil sees him in a different light. Karen Page sees the husband, the father but Daredevil sees a broken man. A torn man. While other people were around to hold a young Matt Murdock together, The Punisher does not have that large support cast. Instead of allowing a man succumb to his demons, Daredevil wants to help him. Yank that good part out of him because they are similar in that fact. Daredevil was angry when his world fell apart. The Punisher is filled with rage. Because they are similar, Matt knows there is a trace of hope for The Punisher. But it all stems for the sympathy Daredevil has for The Punisher. He can’t leave him behind.
They also bring out the good from each other. Daredevil relies on his faith for his actions. When confronting The Punisher, that faith is tested. But Daredevil relies that much more on his faith when trying to pull that good out of The Punisher. His faith does not waver. In fact, it becomes stronger and more important. The Punisher does change around Daredevil. He does show some humanity. That was evident when he opened up to Daredevil at the cemetery where he told Daredevil about his family. The first time when he let his guard down because he was safe around Daredevil. Then most recently, when The Punisher helped Daredevil in Daredevil: Born Again. The simple fact that The Punisher went out to help Daredevil, shows that there is some light within the darkness that drapes over The Punisher. Shows that he cares, in his own way.
And the relationship also helps the superhero genre. It’s often a conflict among heroes and other heroes, and heroes and villains, of what is a better way to fight crime; to kill or not to kill. Both men have a valid reasoning in doing what they do. The Punisher truly believes that the best way to get rid of a harsh, barbaric criminal is to show them the same savagery. And given the tragedy he endured, the spark that ignited his mission is understandable. And Daredevil’s faith keeps him from killing. It’s strong, it’s powerful. And it’s perhaps the most understandable to why a character does not kill. It gives a proper reasoning. It’s more than morals, it’s faith.
These two will always be at odds but there is respect for each other. When a duo has that, it gives a lot of potential to their dynamic. But the relationship between these two goes to great heights. It’s one of the best things happening in the superhero genre. The writing, the acting, the emotion is top tier. Easily sits comfortable with the other best moments in the genre. But what sets it apart is that there’s not much action, not much explosiveness. Just pure talent at work. It’s emotional. It’s two ideologies colliding. And yet, it’s still so captivating.
