Going off of my MCU which began in the WHAT IF? world of 1992 with DareDevil. My shared universe will next showcase the Punisher. The premise for this movie, which we would realize is going on the same time as the DD movie, much like the MCU we know today, would pit the Punisher against the Maggia (Marvel's mafia) and it's 3 families.
It would focus on the head of each family, how they must come together to kill him, and how they are after each other.
This would be in theatres 1 year after DD. This is my 1993 Punisher cast
Daniel Day-Lewis (36 years old) as Punisher
Gandhi; Last of the Mohican's
To be honest I love Eric Roberts as Punisher and I am not a big fan of DDL's (over)acting but, that being said, I know he is a well respected actor and could deliver what many perceive to be "the goods" in this role.
Maggia Bosses
Tommy Lee Jones (47 years old) as HammerHead
Fugitive; Blown Away
Sure he's got a gigantic forehead but when talking acting this guy is it. Blown Away garnered him an MTV award for best villain. Even better, if he did this he never would've done 2-Face
Isabella Rossellini (41) as Madame Masque
Fearless; Death Becomes Her
The Italian-born model and movie star would steal every scene as the femme fa tale
Abe Vigoda (72) as Silvermane
Godfather's 1 and 2; Batman: MotP
My original non-connecting Punisher Movie which I made as a recast to the '89 version (which I cast Roberts as Castle) had Abe as Silvermane. It worked then and it works now
The links that connect this movie to others are
John Malkovich (39) as Norman Osborne
In the Line of Fire; Of Mice and Men
1st My reason why I Chose him. Wait, I shouldn't have to explain that
2nd The role he plays. I would have him play the business man in with HammerHead. Selling his lab techs and equipment to HammerHead in order to give him the edge over the other families and Punisher
James Coburn (65) as General Thunderbolt Ross
Why? Because he embodies the toughness of Ross. His voice his ego, he is Ross.
How? During flashbacks (or early scenes, whatever floats your boat) a young Castle working for the special ops under secret battles during the Reagan era is under the charge of Ross. Make-up needed here for the youthful appearance
Balthazar Getty (18) as (young) Private Frank Castle
Lord of the Flies; Young Guns 2
No great reason for choosing him other than being familiar with his acting and his looks are not radical in that he could pull off a young DDL without many questioning it
He would be alongside Ross in a few bit scenes