Captain America is one of the best characters the Marvel universe has to offer. Arguably the heart of the Avengers, the character has seen it all from Nazis to space tyrants. He has led various different incarnations of the Avengers and has even been replaced in the past. Sometimes out of being alienated by his own country or as a result of being out of action. One of the characters that took his mantle was the brutal Punisher. His tenure may have been brief, but it is definitely a fascinating character study on the deeper psyche of Frank Castle.
But did he deserve being the Star-Spangled Avenger? Here are 5 reasons why we wish Frank Castle was still Captain America and why we're glad he isn't.
10 Glad: He Quickly Gets Results
The Punisher is quite notorious for being a lethal protector of the local alleys. Taking down mobsters and criminals alike with no discrimination, The Punisher outright murders any criminal regardless of what they've done in the past.
This trait is incredibly beneficial as it allows him to get results far faster than most characters. While Captain America is still a decorated soldier, he does his best to ensure there are minimum casualties. But sometimes when it comes to getting the results, he won't be fast enough, unlike the Punisher.
9 Not Glad: Moral Code
However, there is a cost to getting results incredibly quickly. Because of his non-discriminatory approach to fighting villains, it causes him not to see the good in people, resulting in more characters getting hurt in a much more brutal manner.
This is a good and bad thing, good because it allows the character to do things that Captain America himself would never do. But it's also bad because it just wouldn't fit with the stance of what Captain America is supposed to represent. He should be a good symbol, not one to be feared.
8 Glad: He Has Nothing To Lose
Of course, another aspect of the Punisher is that he just has nothing left to lose. The crucial element behind the Punisher character is how his family was murdered by the criminal underworld. What's more, he was a former US. Marine meaning he has seen the absolute worst of humanity.
As a way of essentially fighting back against what was taken from him, he fights a seemingly endless war against crime. He can do this because he has nothing left to lose, willpower that not even Captain America himself fully embraces.
7 Not Glad: Super Soldier Serum
Despite his mental strength and willpower, he isn't a super-soldier. One of the defining traits of the Captain America character is his super-soldier physicality. Being the only American version of this archetype, he can do things Punisher can do and then some.
Punisher may be extremely fit and is able to contend with a variety of different super characters without the serum. But having it as part of his being would've really benefited him as Captain America.
6 Glad: He Greatly Respects Captain America
This may not be known by some readers, but Punisher is actually a huge fan of Captain America. When the character was very young, he looked up to Captain America the soldier, most notably his bravery and skill set. Knowing the concepts of self-sacrifice and putting Captain America almost on this high pedestal.
Regardless of the difference of their approaches or the distinct parallels that both characters share, it's an aspect of Punisher's character that hasn't changed. He just has too much respect for him.
5 Not Glad: He Isn't A Proper Leader
That being said, there is a crucial element that makes Punisher distinctly different from Steve Rogers. Captain America is the leader of the Avengers and his charismatic elements give him a lot of positivity. This results in him having a lot of respect from superheroes and even villains all over the world. This isn't Frank Castle.
He has always been on his own against the underworld. He is also primarily a loner even when he does work with other characters from time to time. In a sense almost the antithesis to Steve Rogers.
4 Glad: He Represents The Darkness In Humanity
But there is still something that Captain America doesn't have that Frank Castle excels at. Because he views everything with black and white lenses, he knows very well the horrors of what men and women are capable of.
While the character is undoubtedly more on the side of good than bad, it is that deep sense of vengeance that makes him not have the guilt of killing his foes that most superheroes have. Sometimes a character needs to make the hard calls in order to keep the world safe, which is something Punisher knows the most.
3 Not Glad: He Doesn't Represent The Best Of Humanity
But all of that comes with the cost of not truly seeing the full extent of humanity. As detailed before, the Punisher often looks at everything with a black and white lens, which is not what Captain America is. Captain America may be a soldier and has done things that he isn't proud of, but he is also a character that sees the best in everyone.
No matter how many civil wars, no matter what villain they are, he will always see the best in everyone. The Punisher isn't that nor is it likely he will ever be.
2 Glad: He Has A Really Cool Costume
During Punisher's brief tenure as the character, he wore his own variant of the classic stars and stripes. Forgoing Steve's scale armor for something heavier and sturdier, Punisher's suit was built for battle. It is designed to hurt.
Layered with padding, army overalls, and a nice little sweater turtleneck to keep his neck warm, it looks very functional and cool. The best part is probably the red eyes, which is both very out of character for Captain America but fits the Punisher so well. It's quite a shame this suit has not made a return.
1 Not Glad: He's Not The Original
At the end of the day, the reason why Punisher wouldn't work out as Captain America is that he just isn't the original. Captain America is a character with humble origins, who is above all a good man who wants to do the right thing.
As admirable as Frank Castle is, despite all of the similar traits he has to Steve Rogers. There are just some core differences that won't make him stand out for long, from their differing moral codes to their views regarding the concept of human nature.