By Drew Dietsch
| Published
Since pairing with Disney, Marvel movies have taken over pop culture to such a degree that plenty of people seem to forget about the Before Times, a world where the letters MCU held no meaning except maybe “municipal credit union.”
While the Disney era of Marvel has embraced and incorporated certain past superhero efforts, like the pre-MCU Spider-Man films or Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, there are many older Marvel movies and TV shows they seem fine with leaving in the dust.
One popular Marvel character is seeing their entire film history disappear for modern generations and I’m here to do my best to see that doesn’t happen. This is why we need to save The Punisher movies.
The Origins Of The Punisher Begin With Spider-Man
The Punisher is a controversial character, and that’s putting it lightly. Oddly enough, he premiered in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 just five months before the release of the hit 1974 film Death Wish. The Punisher—real name Frank Castle—is a murderous vigilante waging a lethal war against crime in New York City.
After gaining surprising popularity with readers and his own comic title, The Punisher made the jump to the big screen in 1989 with his first feature film. The problems began there.
The Punisher’s First Movie Debuted In 1989 And Starred Dolph Lundgren
1989’s The Punisher movie was produced by New World Pictures, a studio headed by the beloved and notoriously cash-conscious Roger Corman. The Punisher would end up being the second-to-last movie produced by New World due to their financial troubles. That also meant The Punisher was unable to secure theatrical distribution in the United States, settling for a direct-to-video release two years after it premiered in international markets.
Rocky IV star Dolph Lundgren was cast as Frank Castle, and while I admit a legit fondness for Lundgren’s brand of acting, it’s fair to say The Punisher is not his finest moment as a thespian.
It doesn’t help that the iconic logo for The Punisher was removed from his outfit in favor of skull-themed throwing knives. Director Mark Goldblatt openly regrets this decision, and I’m sure fans agree.
For an ‘80s vigilante crime flick, The Punisher is not a bad time. The movie has gained a cult following over the years, proving that the power of The Punisher was still up for grabs in the movie world.
The Punisher Returned For Another Movie In 2004
Frank Castle got another shot at the box office in 2004, once again called The Punisher. In the wake of the big comic book movie boom brought on by Blade, X-Men, and Spider-Man, The Punisher was set up to be another notch in Marvel’s big-budget blockbuster belt.
Until the movie flopped at the box office, opening at the #2 spot behind Kill Bill: Volume 2. That’s a bummer, as The Punisher (2004) is a major step up from the previous film. Thomas Jane is excellent as Frank Castle and really cares about doing the character justice—so much so that he even returned to the character in a bootleg short film eight years after the actual movie.
The Punisher (2004) takes inspiration from the Garth Ennis comic book run with the character, and the movie does a good job of maintaining a comic book tone. John Travolta as the villain is admittedly underwhelming, but Thomas Jane’s portrayal and the solid direction from Jonathan Hensleigh make The Punisher (2004) a lot better than its reputation would lead you to believe.
Unfortunately, when your Marvel movie is released two months before Spider-Man 2, you’re pretty much SOL.
Punisher: War Zone Rebooted The Character Again In 2008
Since the Thomas Jane version didn’t conquer the box office, we got a reboot four years later with Punisher: War Zone. It’s here that The Punisher reached his full form. Because Punisher: War Zone is a blast.
Taking more inspiration from Garth Ennis’ over-the-top take on the character, Punisher: War Zone director Lexi Alexander purposefully wanted to inject more ridiculousness and dark comedy into the project, and the movie is so much better for it.
Dominic West, as the villain Jigsaw, gives a bad guy performance like he’s in an episode of the ‘60s Batman show. It’s stupendous. I could watch him in that makeup with that goofy accent for days.
That’s not to say that Ray Stevenson isn’t doing a stellar job as a very focused and minimalist take on Frank Castle. He gets the tone so right in every moment, whether it’s a bit of bleak comedy or a real emotional beat. It’s so sad Stevenson never got another shot with Frank Castle because he nails the dark fun of the character so well.
And any movie that features a parkour gangster getting blown up by a missile is my idea of a good time.
Sadly, Punisher: War Zone once again proved a fatal blow for the character at the box office, opening at the #8 spot. Frank Castle just couldn’t catch a break.
Some Of The Punishers’ Movies Are Being Erased And Can No Longer Be Watched
So here we have three solidly different takes on The Punisher in movies, and each one has its merits and its fans. But it might be harder to find and make new fans since all three of the movies are being left in the digital dust.
As of this recording, Punisher: War Zone – a movie I’d argue is better than any MCU movie, that should get y’all talking in the comments – only has streaming availability on PlutoTV in standard definition. Otherwise, you’ll have to rent or buy the movie to see it.
At the very least, Punisher: War Zone is available on most popular VOD services. The Punisher (2004) is only available to rent or buy through the obscure streaming service Fandango at Home. No other digital storefront in the U.S. seems to carry it.
The Punisher (1989) isn’t available on any digital storefronts at all. You’ll either have to track down a physical copy or procure a digital version in ways that would make Frank Castle look at you as a criminal.
Jon Bernthal’s Punisher Is The Only One Marvel Wants You To See
If you want any Punisher to easily stream, your only access will be The Punisher TV series. With Marvel committed to their MCU versions of their characters, Jon Bernthal has taken up the Punisher mantle and will likely be the only Punisher many younger fans ever see in cinema.
Frankly, that sucks. Part of what makes comic book characters great is that different writers and artists provide new takes and creative approaches to long-standing characters and how they are portrayed. I don’t want to live in a world where only one version of Batman is recognizable and celebrated. I want as many different and unique stories and ideas as possible to get a chance at the spotlight.
The same goes for The Punisher. All three movies deserve their fans, and they could use more.
