Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
You’d be hard-pressed to find a Marvel series that’s been more controversial than Netflix’s The Punisher. Starring Jon Bernthal, the series focuses on the titular character of The Punisher, a superhero who embraces blood, guns, and his fists in his quest to deliver justice. Frank Castle’s hyper-violent story has always drawn in a divisive audience, but actor Jon Bernthal has some select words about what he thinks of the character’s alt-right fan base.
The interview comes from The Walking Dead actor’s cover issue of Esquire. Last October, the show’s gun and violence-packed premiere was pushed back a month following the massacre is Las Vegas. Bernthal, who is an outspoken gun owner, was asked about what he thought about America’s current attitude toward guns. The actor admitted he devoted a lot of time thinking about how to discuss his character’s obsession with guns in interviews before answering.
“I’m a gun owner,” Bernthal said. “I have a gun in my house to keep my family safe. I’m trained in that gun’s use. I know how to keep it away from my kids, and I know how to use it if I need to.”
However, Bernthal made it clear he believes in having more regulations over guns. “Should there be a way that a guy with mental issues like the asshole in Texas can’t get guns? Absolutely. We have to have a dialogue, and that’s not happening.”
Esquire reporter Stephen Rodrick also asked the actor what he thought of The Punisher’s fans, noting that the Punisher symbol has been seen on military helmets as well as on the jackets of alt-right protesters who joined the white-supremacy rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia last year. To The Punisher’s veteran fans, Berthal said, “I feel honored to play a guy who people putting their life on the line identify with.”
Bernthal feelings about The Punisher’s alt-right devotees was far less generous — “Fuck them.”
