9 Comic Book Characters That Deserve A Shot At Movie Redemption
5. The Punisher
There’s a simple reason why, in three attempts, we’re yet to see a definitive Punisher movie.
Frank Castle is a breath of fresh air in the world of Marvel Comics. A hardboiled anti-hero who shoots you in the face first and asks questions later really stands out in a universe of spandex-wearing boy scouts, for some reason.
But if you take said character and place him in a world with no traditional superheroes for comparison, he’s just another R-rated action hero with a bee in his bonnet.
Jon Bernthal’s Punisher worked well in the Daredevil TV show as a black mirror for the Man Without Fear, a tangible reminder of what happens when that fine line is crossed.
No doubt the MCU would benefit from more characters like this, and in Bernthal, Marvel finally has a version of Castle that would fulfil the character’s potential on film.
Punisher entering the MCU all guns blazing, garbed in his famous skull shirt would mark a tonal shift, but that's not the only reason this isn't happening anytime soon.
Comments from Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige suggest that porting a Marvel TV character to the movie universe is a logistical nightmare wrapped up in red tape, so Castle may have to settle for small screen redemption for the time being.