3. Punisher Reboot
I think it's safe to say that if you've had three shots at trying to bring a character to the big screen and you've screwed them all up, then that's probably a sign you should stop. Dolph Lundgren's 1989 cheese-fest sucked, the 2004 remake was moderately enjoyable but not particularly successful, and the gritty, hard-R reboot Punisher: War Zone - which recast Frank Castle for the
third time - was a box office bomb, failing to recoup even one-third of its budget despite some awesomely over-the-top violence. In 2010, the rights for the character reverted to Marvel, who have since become interested in a reboot, while Thomas Jane - who played Castle in the 2004 Punisher and is a huge fan of the comics - was keen to reprise his role, starting fresh. Though Jane fits the role like a glove and it's one of the comics I'd love to see get made properly, I just don't think that's ever going to happen. A comic book film as dark as The Punisher
should be would probably falter financially just like War Zone, yet a lighter take would not at all be in tune with what the character is about. Basically, it doesn't seem like there's a way for studios to get it right, so they just shouldn't bother to try.