Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, is one of the most brutal characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This vigilante, a trained military man, is on a quest to rid the Earth of all the criminals that plague it. But is he the most dangerous hero in the MCU? There are other (often morally ambiguous) characters that are as savage as Frank, and sometimes even worse than him.
Characters like Deadpool or U.S. Agent walk the surprisingly fine line between being a hero and being a menace to society very carefully. Whether it is due to their backstory, their trauma, or their power set, these characters can easily be more dangerous than the Punisher. Whether they choose to do it or not is a different story.
Daredevil Can’t Control His Rage
Matt Murdock is such a noble man that it’s hard to believe he can be a violent vigilante, but this is exactly what makes Daredevil such a complicated man. This superhero spends the nights beating criminals into submission and the day praying the guilt away. All that repression bottles up, and sometimes Matt has a hard time stopping himself mid-fight.
On his quest to avoid lethal force, Daredevil tends to punch harder, making his enemies suffer plenty before releasing them, especially if he becomes enraged, generally due to injustice. Frank kills the criminal fast, while Daredevil basically immobilizes them through pain. Daredevil is more brutal than Punisher, but his moral compass stops him from accessing the kind of rage that would turn him into a murderer.
U.S. Agent Decapitated A Man Once
When John Walker first appeared in the MCU, he was supposedly set to become an actual hero. The new Captain America lost the title when he decapitated a Flag Smasher using the beloved shield. Walker was immediately demoted, and he only got to be an actual hero some time later when he joined the New Avengers during Thunderbolts* under the U.S. Agent moniker.
Walker seems to have learned from his past mistakes, but fans already saw just how unstable he can get if things go wrong. If things get truly dire on the battlefield, he won’t hesitate to kill; it doesn’t matter who, as long as he isn’t on his side. For Walker, murder can be a matter of survival, while the Punisher will never get caught killing an innocent.
Deadpool’s Violence Is Unpredictable
After three films, one in the MCU, Deadpool has evolved from a mindless mercenary to a somewhat heroic hitman. Wade has confirmed that he has the best intentions when it comes to his missions, and he won’t hurt objectively good people. In this sense, he has a proper moral compass. Unfortunately, he’s also kind of emotionally damaged, and his kooky personality may be too irreverent for him to actually be a noble superhero.
Deadpool and Punisher are capable of the same kind of violence, but the Merc with a Mouth is way more unpredictable. While Frank is methodical, Wade is chaotic. While he makes sure not to hit innocents, Deadpool doesn’t take things very seriously. He will shoot first and ask later, and he will never do the kind of research the Punisher does before attacking. This makes him more lethal and less trustworthy as an ally.
Namor Only Cares About His Agenda
The ruler of Talokan may be on the Avengers’ side for Avengers: Doomsday, but fans know better than to trust Namor. In fact, the last time fans saw him, he was musing about his future betrayal of Shuri and Wakanda, so it’s only a matter of time before the other shoe drops. Likely, Namor will reveal his true anti-surface people agenda soon.
Punisher is dangerous, but Namor is ruthless. He already showed just how cutthroat he can get in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever when he killed Queen Ramonda by drowning her in one of the saddest scenes in the film. It takes a special kind of evil to kill an innocent person through such a torturous method. At least the Punisher does it after researching his victims’ sins, not to fulfill his own selfish agenda.
Moon Knight Can Turn Incredibly Sadistic
A former mercenary turned into an instrument of an unstable god, Moon Knight tracks criminals and fills them with fear before beating them and sometimes killing them. He doesn’t have a no-kill rule, nor is he willing to kill them all like Punisher. Still, he can grow incredibly violent, which is what separates him from Frank when it comes to vigilantism.
Moon Knight and Punisher are two of the most brutal Avengers. Still, Moon Knight is way more dangerous than Punisher is, because of how deeply personal his mission is. While the Punisher is a clinical killer, the Fist of Khonshu leans into brutality with every punch. He can be too sadistic, as he enjoys knowing his enemies can see him coming and has no problem mutilating. The Punisher wants to kill the scum, but Moon Knight wants them to suffer first.