Why Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ Finally Got the Punisher Right

4. He’s Completely Sane

More of than not, the Punisher is played a little like a cold-hearted crazy person. Make no mistake: the Punisher’s mission is completely and totally bonkers. The man kills people to sate some sense of vengeance that will never be satisfied. Yes, the Punisher might be in a constant state of emotional anguish, however, for all intents and purposes, the Punisher is completely in control of his faculties; he’s subject to none of the erratic behavior that marks a typical mentally ill person. He has a strict code of conduct from which he never veers. He is able to keep his emotions in check. He is fully aware that his one-man war on the mob isn’t normal person behavior. He just doesn’t care. Finally, the Punisher is the sane person completing an insane mission; the exact personification you’d expect in a haunted ex-soldier.