5.
Pierre Morel
Already Responsible For:
Taken,
From Paris With Love,
District B13
A director hot off the action-press, Morel seems to have a real fit for allowing audiences to have fun in the midst of chaos. He's less of a director with an eye for sadistic violence and more of one who amps up the energy for the audience's benefit. He doesn't seem to linger on anything particularly graphic, in fact, he's more of a shoot'em'up, slam-em-down director than a torture artist. Morel is about fun, over-the-top action; not about grossing his audience out.
4.
Ruben Fleischer
Already Responsible For:
Zombieland,
30 Seconds or Less,
Gangster Squad
More of a director who has a feel for tone, Fleischer brought joy to many a zombie fan-boy with his debut of
Zombieland and proved that he could handle a mixed genre. However, with the period piece of Gangster Squad sitting up his sleeve, it seems that his turn to the dramatic has enough flair to possibly show he's a jack of all trades, and someone worth giving a go when it comes to Frank Castle.
3.
Takashi Miike
Already Responsible For:
13 Assassins,
Audition,
Ichi the Killer
When it comes to violence, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better director than Takashi Miike. But Miike's
Punisher wouldn't be another
War Zone, as he understands and justifies the violence in his films artfully though intimate storytelling and character development. A director not willing to throw blood on the wall to paint a simple picture, Miike slices and dices because it's relevant to the story. It's a statement. Something we need to see in a Punisher film.
2.
Tony Kaye
Already Responsible For:
American History X,
Lake of Fire
Given his filmography, Kaye is not a director to shy from brutal, up-front looks at controversial topics. And a hero that is all killing, no mercy is always a bit of a difficult sell to the general audience. Kaye's take would highlight the good without skimping out on the bad. He's a director who doesn't feel the need to pull his punches and could do wonders with Frank Castle's politics against crime.
1.
Neil Marshall
Already Responsible For:
The Descent,
Doomsday,
Dog Soldiers,
Game of Thrones: Blackwater
A director with a real love of blood, Marshall also pays intimate respect to his character when he realizes that they are greater than the plot of his movies (why
The Descent was so good, and why
Doomsday fell short). Giving him a character like Frank Castle and allowing him to be a walking time bomb of rage, frustration, and sadism could do wonders for the character, as Marshall attempts to keep Castle's humanity intact. Could there be a better director for The Punisher? Possibly, but I don't see one out there who could outclass Neil Marshall in this specific department.
What do you folks think? Who would you like to see helm a Punisher movie?
Also, you can check out my director choices for
Daredevil and
The Flash as well!