Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Biggest Plot Hole Gives Punisher His Best Moment

A big plot hole involving The Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day ironically leads to his finest hour in the MCU. The film’s story is generally solid and respectful of the history of the established characters. However, there is one element of the film’s final scenes that doesn’t quite work for Frank Castle.

One of the major subplots of Spider-Man: Brand New Day centers around the odd relationship that develops between Punisher and Peter Parker. At first they seem to be antagonistic, as Peter keeps bringing up a Staten Island incident where he saved Frank’s life. And yet, Peter turns to Frank when he needs to hide MJ from the mystery villain played by Sadie Sink.

It is while they are in hiding that Frank deduces that Spider-Man loves MJ. While not the most touchy-feely guy, Frank knows better than anyone what it means to fight for a loved one and to lose someone. That shared bond pushes Punisher to help Peter more directly over the course of the movie. It also leads to his shooting Peter while trying to take out the mystery villain.

The scene that follows pays homage to a classic scene from the Civil War comic, where Frank Castle cared for a wounded Spider-Man. When Peter wakes up later, he is surprised to find Frank watching over him. This scenes that follow cement a bond of friendship between the two vigilantes, as Frank covers Peter’s escape. He does this by donning the Spider-Man mask and waving to the crowd from a hospital window. Heartwarming as it is this scene also offers a major logic problem for fans of The Punisher. Specifically, how Frank could have stayed in the hospital safely when he is a wanted fugitive.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day sacrifices MCU logic for Punisher’s best character moment

The version of The Punisher played by Jon Bernthal was first introduced 2015’s Daredevil Season 1. He was brought to justice for the murders of 30 people and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, Kingpin later arranged Frank’s escape for his own purposes.

Years later, during Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Frank was arrested again after confronting the Anti-Vigilante Task Force. This time, however, he was locked in a dungeon Kingpin used to hold his enemies. Frank escaped through his own cleverness and remained in hiding through the events of The Punisher: One Last Kill.

Even with the questionable legality of his second incarceration, Frank Castle is still a fugitive from the law. He was shown to live as such, even in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Given how closely hospitals are monitored by the police and reporters in the real world, there is no logical way Punisher’s transport of Spider-Man would have gone unnoticed.

On the other hand, there is a difference between unnoticed and unreported. Spider-Man: Brand New Day makes it clear that the friendly-neighborhood hero has become beloved in New York City. Perhaps the fact that it was Spidey who needed help bought The Punisher some leeway when it came to acting as his bodyguard. Alternatively, the hospital administrators may have decided it wasn’t worth antagonizing a known killer, even if he supposedly only targeted criminals.

In any case, the payoff of Punisher wearing Spider-Man’s mask and carrying on for an audience is worth the logical fallacy. It serves to drive home just how beloved Spidey has become since all memory of his secret identity was erased. It also allows Frank Castle a chance to enjoy the benefits of being a hero, if only by proxy.

Originally written by Matt Morrison at SuperHeroHype

Source: Comingsoon.net