Ex-Writer Says Marvel Hates The Punisher Because Cops, Vets Like Him

According to one former Marvel writer, the iconic comic book company is too fond of one of its most popular characters: The Punisher.

Why would that be? Marvel is owned by Disney, a company that could sure use a big hit right about now. So, why wouldn't they lean into a character with a built-in fanbase?

According to former Punisher writer Chuck Dixon on an episode of his appropriately titled podcast, Ask Chuck Dixon, the company is purposely ignoring the character because of its blue-collar roots and popularity with police officers and military vets.

"They don't like him for the same reason that DC (Comics) doesn’t like Guy Gardner (a version of the Green Lantern) and fans like the Punisher for the same reason they like Guy Gardner," Dixon said, per Fox News Digital.

He said that this is because "there’s very few superheroes that have blue-collar origins" and are "average guys driven to extremes."

"People respond to these characters because of those origins and because they have blue-collar origins — when they’re written correctly — they say stuff and do stuff that other comic book characters won’t. They don’t have the same mores, the same code," he said.

Dixon explained that characters with blue-collar origin stories like the Punisher resonate with fans. Characters like this don't typically act or talk like other comic book characters and therein lays their appeal.

"The main reason they wanted to get rid of The Punisher is because they hated The Punisher and they hate you for liking it. It’s that simple," Dixon said.

Although he did give another reason.

Dixon Claimed The Final Straw For Marvel Was When Cops, Vets Started Using Punisher Symbol

Dixon compared the Punisher to Archie Bunker as far as how it was a non-politically correct character. However, that's not what he thinks was the final straw for the character.

Dixon said that when new people came into Marvel, they hated the character and the audience it attracted.

He said one of the big things that made Marvel want to distance itself from the character was when "our military and police began using the Punisher skull symbol on uniforms." He added that it was also seen "on the sides of armored personnel carriers and Bradly fighting machines in Iraq."

Actor Jon Bernthal attends Marvel's "The Punisher" Los Angeles premiere at the ArcLight Hollywood on January 14, 2019. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)

Yeah, why would they want a character that resonates with brave men and women who protect our country?

I think you know why.

Dixon has made similar claims before. According to the website Bounding Into Comics, last year, he said that Marvel is "embarrassed to be associated with people who probably don’t share their worldview."

Of course, this is all just one guy's take, but it's not an unreasonable one. There are plenty of examples of companies putting business principles aside in favor of woke street cred.

This would just be another.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle