On the surface, the Frank Castle kills those he deems guilty without remorse, while Steve Rogers fights for freedom and justice for all, only killing his enemies as a last resort (and usually only during wartime). It’s clear as day that these guys couldn’t be more different. Or, is it? Because, honestly, I’m starting to think that Frank Castle really is the next Steve Rogers (and it only took me 19 years).

In 2006’s Civil War by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven, the Punisher’s brutal methods. However, Spider-Man reflects on Cap’s decision, and offers his own take on the situation, saying the two of them are the ‘same guy, different war’.

Roughly ten years later in Punisher MAX: The Platoon by Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov, Spider-Man’s interpretation is proven true. The Platoon gives fans a look at Frank Castle’s first command during the Vietnam War. In the story, Castle’s platoon is under fire from an aerial attack, and Frank jumps on one of his men, shielding the soldier’s body with his own. This moment shows that Frank Castle had his own ‘jump on the grenade’ moment, just like Captain America during WWII. This proves that Castle and Rogers were basically the same men going into their respective wars - but, unfortunately, they became different men afterward.

Captain America and The Punisher are Products of Their Respective Wars

Frank Castle Experienced Horrors Beyond What Steve Rogers Had to Face

What Spider-Man said 19 years ago was true, the Punisher and Captain America are the same men who experienced different wars. That makes Frank Castle something of Steve Rogers’ legacy, someone who is willing to ‘jump on the grenade’ for his fellow soldiers while serving his country overseas. Honestly, based on how much Captain America disapproves of the Punisher’s methods, this parallel took me almost two decades to figure out (thanks, Spider-Man). But, to my credit, the initial similarities between Castle and Rogers are totally overshadowed by the stark differences between the Punisher and Captain America.

Frank Castle may have started his military career as the next Steve Rogers, but because of the horrors he experienced during the Vietnam War, he was twisted into something much darker. Those horrors are actually shown in another ‘Punisher prequel’ comic by Garth Ennis called Born. In Born, Frank Castle is surrounded by enemy forces, and every soldier in his platoon is dead. He alone kills countless Viet Cong, and when Frank is finally pulled out of there, he looks like a feral animal covered in blood and surrounded by corpses. This is the moment Frank Castle became the Punisher - a moment Captain America never had to experience.

Frank Castle IS the ‘Next Steve Rogers’, but in the Darkest Way

The Punisher & Captain America are Two Sides of the Same Coin

Frank Castle wasn’t fighting the Nazis, his war didn’t inspire hope, and his suffering didn’t lead to him becoming a superhero. Castle was a soldier willing to sacrifice himself for the men around him and for his country, just like Steve Rogers. However, while Rogers’ war created a hero, Castle’s war created a monster. Because of this, I would say that the Punisher actually is the next Captain America - but, less of a worthy successor and more of a dark reflection. Both men went into their wars for the same reasons, and both fought with honor. However, their experiences resulted in two very different ‘superhero’ alter egos.

Frank Castle survived his war by killing his enemies any way he could, no matter what it did to him. Steve Rogers survived his war by believing in the bright future he was fighting for, with the assurance that he and his cause were objectively good. It makes sense to me that Castle would become the Punisher where Steve Rogers became Captain America: same origin, different outcomes. Both men took what they learned from their wars and applied it to their ‘superhero’ alter egos once their wars were done. Neither could live without ‘war’ in their lives, but the way they fight them is drastically different.

So, is the Punisher literally the next Captain America? No, definitely not (and Steve Rogers would agree). However, what Spider-Man said 19 years ago was true: ‘same guy, different war’. That means, while the Punisher was never the next Captain America, Frank Castle was the next Steve Rogers - they just became different men as a result of their respective wars.