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A handful of actors have played The Punisher in movies, television shows, and video games, but for the co-creator of the character, Jon Bernthal best captured his spirit. 

In the first season of Marvel Studios' Daredevil: Born Again, Bernthal's Punisher confronts a group of Wilson Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Task Force members who have adopted his skull insignia. When the men express their admiration for The Punisher, Frank Castle calls them out, expressing his disgust for how they've appropriated his symbol. 

In an interview with Popverse conducted before his death in April, Gerry Conway reflected on this moment, as well as Bernthal's performance as Frank Castle overall. "Well, I think his reaction in the show was perfect. Those couple of lines - 'You do not know me. You don't know the pain that I feel.' That nailed it. You know, there are a bunch of frauds that are taking on his symbol and desecrating it. Because for him, it reflects the horror of his life. And for them, it's a symbol of the ability to oppress, you know, like 'I do not approve,'" Conway began. 

"Well, [Jon Bernthal is] a terrific actor, too," he continued. "I would recommend, if you have Netflix, there's a show that just came on, His and Her. It's a crime show, a murder mystery with two vantage points with 'his' and 'hers.' And he's stellar in that. And Tessa Thompson is in it too. Great pairing." 

Conway was an outspoken critic of The Punisher's skull insignia's appropriation by law enforcement, the military, and white supremacists over the past decade. And while it's undeniably upsetting that Conway had to grapple with his own creation becoming a symbol of hatred and oppression, despite, you know, the actual principles he co-created the character around, it's a relief to know that Conway got to see Bernthal's Punisher stand up against the fascists who supposedly idolized him in-universe. 

Both Daredevil: Born Again and Bernthal's most recent appearance as the character, The Punisher: One Last Kill, are streaming now on Disney+. 

Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

• How to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe in release or chronological order
• The best Marvel Comics stories of all time
• All the MCU movies ranked from best to worst
• Our weekly Marvel insider's column, Marvel Matters