Marvel and Netflix Cancel ‘The Punisher’ at Comic-Con

If you have a mind mathematical enough to keep up with all the Marvel Comic Universe movies and TV shows, you know that The Punisher is set to debut as a 13-episode series on Netflix sometime in the next few months. The release date’s uncertain as Marvel and various networks simultaneously produce eight-thousand similar series. If your name has ever appeared in a Marvel comic book, you’re about to be greenlit.

The Punisher series not so uniquely focuses on a vigilante Frank Castle whose family was murdered so he starts shooting the shit out of bad guys in order to find out they conspiracy behind their murder. I know, mind blown. In light of the Vegas gun massacre, Netflix and Marvel decided to cancel the upcoming The Punisher show panel at New York Comic-Con:

“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.”

Unmentioned in the statement is how much sense it makes to cancel events glorifying gun violence only after incidents of real life gun violence. You produce a ton of content depicting vengeful or death wish dudes shooting up enemies. Presumably you’re canceling none of that. There’s no evidence to support violent programming leads to real life violence. But as long as you’re making symbolic gestures, why not on the front end before people are bleeding out on the ground?

This whole concept that we ought cancel the enjoyable parts of living because the tragic parts of life inevitably occur has never truly made sense. A moment of silence for the fallen is a blessed custom. It would be overtly rude for the Mandalay Bar, the concert promoters, or anybody else directly involved in the massacre not to displace normal routine for some period of time to honor the dead and wounded. Whether or not completely token gestures from afar are necessary is likely more a function of fear of Twitter blowback. That asymmetrical power of a few to affect mass media and national politics.

Ask yourself this, what would Frank Castle do? Yep, Comic-Con. Then probably shoot that Filipina girlfriend in the kneecaps until she talked. If we’re being honest.

_{Photo credit: Marvel Studios}