The Punisher’s panel in NYCC was cancelled after the Las Vegas shooting, prompting questions about what it means to watch shows responsibly.
Netflix’s new series The Punisher was scheduled to have a panel and exclusive screening today at the 2017 New York Comic Con, but in a joint statement a few days ago, Marvel and Netflix announced that they would no longer be participating.
“We are stunned and saddened by this week’s senseless act in Las Vegas. After careful consideration, Netflix and Marvel have decided it wouldn’t be appropriate for Marvel’s The Punisher to participate in New York Comic Con. Our thoughts continue to be with the victims and those affected by this tragedy.”
The show was expected to be released on Netflix soon, but now there are rumors that its release will be delayed. As beloved a character as Frank Castle is, promoting a show about a man who goes on ruthless killing sprees seems tasteless in the context of what happened this week.
The character we got to know through Daredevil was initially presented to us as precisely the kind of nightmarish villain behind real-life shootings — an unstoppable, inhuman force of violence that could get through anything to reach its victims. The episodes where Matt Murdoch tried to decipher the mystery of Frank Castle conveyed a staggering sense of helplessness in the wake of the violence — a shadow of the feelings caused by real-life firearm attacks of such magnitude.
Frank’s story is not, in the end, a story about a villain. But neither is anyone’s story, and both the episodes surrounding him in Daredevil and probably The Punisher paint the picture of a man struggling with trauma, grief, and an unquenchable thirst for violence. Loath as we may be to acknowledge it, these are also elements likely found in every terrorist, to some degree, and The Punisher offers a fascinating space to examine this. What makes a man turn to violence at the expense of his humanity? Is there a chance for redemption?
But these questions are not the sort of questions that are necessary directly after a tragedy, and Netflix and Marvel were wise to recognize it. The humanization of domestic, white terrorists in contrast to the vitriol surrounding coverage of terrorists that happen to be people of color brings a whole new dimension to any conversation surrounding terrorism, and The Punisher’s gritty yet soulful approach does nothing to dismantle cultural biases. While these are important matters that need discussing, the week after the shooting is not the time for it.
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Netflix and Marvel’s tactful approach is commendable, and an excellent opportunity to take a step back as an audience and re-examine the way we frame the entertainment we consume. Shows like The Punisher or Daredevil may act as escapes from reality, but they still affect our mindset and even our environment in very significant ways. The images we consume as a society, and the emotions we associate with them — fighting, guns, revenge — do come into play in subtle ways in our choices and in the way we view the world around us.
That’s not to say that we can’t enjoy The Punisher, or that we should ignore the valuable contribution its story makes to conversations surrounding PTSD and violence in general. But we cannot allow ourselves the luxury of blind enjoyment. A story, after all, is what you make of it; and if what you take away from The Punisher is the satisfaction of watching Frank kill others, rather than the nuance of the story behind it, maybe it’s time to re-examine from what angle you’re viewing the story.
The normalization of violence begins within ourselves, much before we begin questioning what we should show children or what should become mainstream. Censorship is not the answer, but rather the mindful consumption of media. As an audience, we should seize opportunities like this one to take a step back and reflect on our own reactions to what we watch. What images and themes are we absorbing? How much are we exposed to them, and in what ways does this exposure change us?
It’s important to protect ourselves in these times, just as much from ourselves as from others. As we grapple with feelings of grief, rage and disbelief in the wake of terrible tragedies, we can all learn from the stance Marvel and Netflix have taken, taking a break to consider what all of this means, and how we can do better.