Would the Punisher Be Welcomed by the Avengers?
Would the Punisher Be Welcomed by the Avengers?
It wouldn't be out of the question. After all, they did let Wolverine join, despite his violent nature.
Precedent In the Comic Universe
The Avengers is known for their diversity and adaptability, but accepting the Punisher would indeed be a unique move. It is true that Punisher has been part of the Avengers, specifically during the Civil War event, where he briefly aligned himself with Captain America's side.
During this event, the Avengers took in criminals who were willing to operate within the law temporarily to oppose the Superhuman Registration Act. However, for the Punisher, these criminals remained criminals who should be stopped by any means necessary. This discrepancy in ideologies does bring up the question of hypocrisy, given that the Punisher had supported and broken laws himself.
The Role of the Avengers
Throughout the comics, the Avengers have rarely delved into street-level crime. Instead, they focus on national and international-level criminals. The Punisher, on the other hand, targets organized crime and might only accidentally involve himself in street-level crime.
Given the stark differences in their approaches to crime, a relevant question could be: Would the Punisher accept an invitation to join the Avengers, if it meant he would have to change his methods?
Accepting the Punisher into the Avengers
There are several factors that would need to be considered. Firstly, the Avengers is rated PG-13, while the Punisher is an 18-rated show. If the Punisher were to join, they would have to tone down the violent and gory aspect of his methods to maintain the PG-13 rating. However, it's worth noting that most members of the Avengers also kill villains, such as Iron Man and Thor, which would help mitigate this issue.
Key similarity between the Punisher and Bucky is that both use traditional weapons. This would likely be accepted by the Avengers' more traditional approach to combat.
Conclusion
Given these considerations, while the Punisher's methods would need to be adapted, it is plausible that the Avengers would accept him. The adaptation would mainly involve reducing the violence and gore, yet they have already made allowances for similar behavior from other members.
Thus, while the Punisher's violent nature might make him a complex addition, his ability to work within the team's structure and to combat organized crime makes his inclusion a viable option.