The Punisher has always been a property Marvel has struggled with bringing to the big screen. The Netflix show with Jon Bernthal was the closest they ever came to fitting the character into the MCU. Still, it remains a character that many deem too violent for a superhero film, and Frank Castle seems unlikely to appear in a Disney-produced Marvel movie soon. Thus, when other Punisher movies have been made, they’re typically vigilante action movies that aren’t especially tied to their comic book origins. In 1989, we got a low-budget version starring Dolph Lundgren, but in 2004 Lionsgate tried to mount a big-budget, star-studded action movie update, with Thomas Jane playing Frank Castle, aka The Punisher.
The studio went all out, even bringing in John Travolta to play the baddie, but despite Jane’s best efforts (with most agreeing he made a great Punisher), the film was a box office disappointment. Many criticized the camp aspects of the movie, such as the tacked-on comic relief characters or the ultra-melodramatic score (complimented by a very 2004 soundtrack album that included Nickelback, Drowning Pool and Puddle of Mudd). The film also lacked the budget to really deliver as far as action went. Most of the fireworks are saved for the climax, while Travolta hams it up in a way that adds to the movie’s camp value, which would become even more of a factor in the divisive sequel, Punisher: War Zone. In this episode of Marvel Revisited, written, narrated and edited by Kier Gomes, we dig into this Punisher one-off and explain why Jane never officially reprised the character, despite being approached for a sequel a few years later.
Does The Punisher (2004) hold up as a decent enough action movie? Is there a way to make The Punisher work in the MCU? Let us know in the comments!