There are plenty of heroes in the Marvel Universe that would be perfect fits for law enforcement to embrace. Captain America, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and even Thor would all be decent options, but your mind probably doesn’t think “oh yeah, The Punisher!”
Videos by ComicBook.com
The Catlettsburg police department in eastern Kentucky didn’t see things that way, however, and opted to emblazon their police vehicles with a Punisher-themed logo with the words “Blue Lives Matter”. That new logo went along with a similarly titled bill that labeled crimes against police officers as hate crimes (via Bleeding Cool).
Police chief Cameron Logan told the Herald-Ledger “That design is basically to give back to the police officers. Our lives matter just as much as anybody’s. … I’m not racist or anything like that, I’m not trying to stir anything up like that. I consider it to be a ‘warrior logo.’ Just cause it has ‘Blue Lives Matter’ on the hood, all lives matter. That decal represents that we will take any means necessary to keep our community safe.”
It turns out not everyone felt that way, and amidst reports of complaints the logos have been removed from all police vehicles. Granted, there are only eight vehicles in total (the city population is around 2,500), but the logo will not be on any of them.
No reason was given as to why the logos were removed, so it could have been complaints from citizens (though most of the city supported the Blue Lives Matter bill) or the department not wanting a lawsuit from Disney (who now owns Marvel). Either way, though, it’s probably for the best, as someone who will pretty much shoot any criminal he sees isn’t exactly who you want representing the local law enforcement. Seems like a conflict of interest.
As for Neflix’s Punisher, it’s not yet known whether Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle on the upcoming Defenders series, but it’s hard to believe he won’t at least make a cameo. He will also likely have some involvement with season 3 of Daredevil, but first up will be his own solo series which is already underway. Steve Lightfoot is writing the first two episodes of the series, and he’s also serving as the showrunner and the executive producer. Jim Chory and Jeph Loeb are also onboard as executive producers.
The cast includes Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Paige), Daniel Webber (Lewis Walcott), Jason R. Moore (Curtis Hoyle), Paul Schulze (Nurse Jackie), Jamie Ray Newman (Sarah Lieberman), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Micro).
Luke Cage just released in September and will be followed by Iron Fist in March, which will then lead into the Defenders. Somewhere in that mix is also the Punisher series, the second season of Jessica Jones, and the third season of Daredevil, but those have yet to be dated.
MORE: Why TV Is Better For Superheroes Than Movies / Vincent D’Onofrio Confirms No Kingpin In Punisher Series / New Photos Show Castle Commit Grand Theft Auto
