THE PUNISHER: 2004's Frank Castle, Thomas Jane, Wants To Direct Jon Bernthal In A New Movie

THE PUNISHER: 2004's Frank Castle, Thomas Jane, Wants To Direct Jon Bernthal In A New Movie

Thomas Jane starred in 2004's The Punisher, and now he's directing, the actor reveals he's open to taking the helm of another big screen reboot, this time starring Netflix's Frank Castle, Jon Bernthal...

By JoshWilding - Dec 15, 2020 02:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Punisher
Source: ComicBook.com

Frank Castle has always struggled in a live-action setting. 2004's The Punisher was something of a disaster, while reboot Punisher: War Zone was a violent, bloody mess. When Jon Bernthal brought the character to Daredevil, it was a definite step in the right direction, but a shame that his spinoff series underwhelmed (particularly with its second season). 

In an interview with ComicBook.com, the star of that 2004 movie, Thomas Jane, opened up on what could come next for the character on screen. 

The actor has taken to directing in recent years, and after making his directorial debut with 2009's Dark Country, he'd like a shot at helming a big screen adventure starring the Punisher. Needless to say, he would want Bernthal to return as the character who first appeared in the pages of Marvel Comics' Amazing Spider-Man #129.

"If the fans really wanted me back, and we could find a script," he said when asked what could convince him to return to the Marvel Universe. "See, I think the Punisher, and the reason why I did the short, was that it hasn't fully been cracked in a way that fully honors the character, Frank Castle, in a film. And I love what Bernthal did on Netflix. I think he's such a great Punisher. In fact, I would love to direct a Punisher starring Bernthal, because he's such a great actor."

Jane even starred in a fan-film revolving around the Punisher, so he's clearly passionate about the character. Whether Marvel Studios has any plans for Frank Castle moving forward remains to be seen.


Click on the "Next" button below to see how we'd
like The Defenders to be rebooted for the MCU!

10. Eternals Reintroduces The Concept Of The Iron Fist

IF

In recent Marvel Comics, it's been revealed that a woman name Fan Fei held the mantle of the Iron Fist thousands of years before Danny Rand came on to the scene.

She later banded together with Agamotto, Lady Phoenix, Odin, and Stone Age versions of Black Panther, Ghost Rider, and Star Brand to form an early version of The Avengers, and together, they managed to repel an attack from an ancient Celestial. Needless to say, you can probably see how that would tie into the events of the history-spanning Eternals movie. 

This could be a really cool tease for what's to come with Iron Fist in the not too distant future...
 

9. The MCU's Heroes For Hire

IF

It's crazy that with two seasons of Luke Cage, two seasons or Iron Fist, and a season of The Defenders, all we got was a couple of teases that Luke and Danny Rand might one day form "Heroes for Hire."

This would be an incredible way to reintroduce both characters, and a great fit for Disney+. It could make for an entertaining movie too, of course, but exploring their friendship in depth and having them tackles cases on a weekly basis would do the comic books justice in a big way. 

The "Heroes for Hire" concept is one that is completely different to anything else in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and could give Marvel Studios the chance to address some relevant, timely topics. 
 

8. Jessica Jones Goes To High School/College With Peter Parker

Jewel

Jessica Jones is a character who was retconned into the Marvel Universe by writer Brian Michael Bendis. It turns out that years before becoming a Private Eye, Jessica went to the same school as Peter Parker and even had a crush on the nerdy superhero (he never really noticed her, though). 

While this would serve as something of a slow burn approach to Jessica's reintroduction, having her go to school (or college) with Peter could be a really cool way of hitting the rest button on the P.I.

As a new ally to the web-slinger, Jess could help him out when it comes to his web-slinging activities, all while dealing with her newfound abilities as she becomes the superhero known to fans as Jewel.
 

7. Daredevil Represents Spider-Man In Court

Matt-Spidey

While the signs are all pointing to Spider-Man 3 possibly being some sort of "Spider-Verse" adventure, we're still hoping that Peter Parker will be forced to answer for supposedly killing Mysterio.

The web-slinger clearing his name is a must (even if people still view him as a "menace" thanks to J. Jonah Jameson), and who better to represent him in court than a returning Matt Murdock? This would be a great way to reintroduce the character to moviegoers, and if it leads to a team-up between Spider-Man and Daredevil...well, it goes without saying that would be amazing.

If this doesn't happen in Spider-Man 3, then we're keeping everything crossed for Spider-Man 4.
 

6. Moon Knight Battles The Punisher

MK-Punish

As incredible as Jon Bernthal was as Frank Caste, both seasons of The Punisher were a tad underwhelming. They became too bogged down in conspiracies to really explore what makes this violent vigilante tick, but it would be a great shame to see Marvel Studios now cast a different actor in the role. 

Looking ahead at what's to come in Phase 4, the Moon Knight TV series coming to Disney+ is undoubtedly the best possible place to bring Frank back to small screen (even if he is toned down).

As the panel above proves, there's a really unique and fun dynamic between The Punisher and Marc Spector, and they could very easily team-up for a one-off adventure. With that, the Marvel Cinematic Universe would have a Punisher again, a character who could make recurring appearances all over. 
 

5. Luke Cage, Mentor To Miles Morales

MM-LC

The comic books have never really explored a relationship between Miles Morales and Luke Cage, but having Power Man serve as a mentor to the young web-slinger in the MCU would be a blast.

In the Spider-Man: Miles Morales video game, the hero moves to Harlem, and that just so happens to also be Cage's home. These two striking up a friendship could have all the makings of something special, particularly if Miles serves as the new Spider-Man after Peter Parker's death. 

This would be a fresh direction for both characters, and a new way to make use of Luke Cage on screen.
 

4. Jessica Jones Returns In She-Hulk

She

Jennifer Walters is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe via the She-Hulk TV series coming to Disney+. Rumour has it that she's going to be a lawyer who specialises in superhuman law, so we wouldn't be remotely surprised if it's actually her representing Peter Parker in court at some point!

In that show, Jennifer might need some help from a local private eye, and that's where Jessica Jones would come in. These two are firm friends in the comics too, so this makes a lot of sense. 

Krysten Ritter could reprise the role, but it might not be a bad idea to reinvent Jessica here, possibly ditching her alcoholism and ties to the Purple Man. Yes, that's a huge part of who she is in the source material, but it will boil down to how much Marvel Studios wants to distant this new version from what fans saw on Netflix (which definitely took her to a lot of very dark places).
 

3. Iron Fist vs. Shang-Chi

ShangIF

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings reportedly includes an underground fight tournament which the titular hero will need to win in order to get his hands on the Ten Rings for The Mandarin. 

What if, during that contest, the Master of Martial Arts crosses paths with Danny Rand? These two are firm friends and allies in the comic books, and while having Shang-Chi defeat Iron Fist in his first big screen appearance might not be the best way to have some moviegoers meet him for the first time. 

The movie could still tease his existence, though (perhaps he was the last victor of a tournament like this), and it would be no bad thing to see them team-up in a sequel to this first Shang-Chi movie.
 

2. Spider-Man Battles The Kingpin Of Crime

Spidey-Kingpin

Long before he was a Daredevil villain, Wilson Fisk battled Spider-Man. As much as we love the Man Without Fear, it wouldn't be the end of the world to leave him on the shelf a little longer and make use of The Kingpin in the meantime (it makes him a more established baddie too). 

As great as it's been to see Peter Parker take on colourful villains like The Vulture and Mysterio, watching the web-slinger tackle crime in the Big Apple has just as much potential to be a compelling story.

Someone like the Hobgoblin or Black Cat could be working for Fisk in this movie - we're guessing it would be Spider-Man 4 - and that would set the stage nicely for the Kingpin of Crime to one day hire the likes of Bullseye and Elektra to do his bidding. Should Vincent D'Onofrio return? Absolutely.
 

1. Don't Save Daredevil, Reboot Him (With Charlie Cox)

DD

Daredevil was a good series, but it wasn't a great one. Season one didn't put the Man Without Fear into his costume until the finale, season two was hit-and-miss, and while the third was an improvement, it was far from perfect (did we really need to spend so much time with Karen Page?).

So, no, we don't want Marvel Studios to "save" Daredevil. The character needs to be rebooted, though we would be very happy seeing Charlie Cox given the chance to reprise the role of Matt Murdock.

The actor was terrific in the role, and could do wonders with the right creative input. For starters, we'd love to see him get a proper costume as that was always missing in the Netflix series. If Jamie Foxx can get another shot of Electro, then so too should Cox as Daredevil. 
 

PUNISHER Star Jon Bernthal On Frank Castle's Growth (Or Lack Thereof) In DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN
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PUNISHER Star Jon Bernthal On Frank Castle's Growth (Or Lack Thereof) In DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN

PUNISHER Star Jon Bernthal Speaks About DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Return For The First Time
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Kumkani
Kumkani - 12/15/2020, 2:21 AM
OT: Emma Fuhrmann didn't know she was being recast as Cassie Lang

https://mobile.twitter.com/EmmaFuhrmann/status/1338676919022313472?s=09
dracula
dracula - 12/15/2020, 2:23 AM
Still the best portrayal of The Punisher
Tasmaniac
Tasmaniac - 12/15/2020, 4:56 AM
@dracula - Agreed. Bernthal was great but Jane in Dirty Laundry was pure, concentrated Punisher. The best 10 minutes of Punisher ever put on screen.
LittleSween
LittleSween - 12/15/2020, 2:30 AM
Not gonna lie, I've liked all the Punisher live-action portrayals in some form or another.
The Thomas Jane one rocked, and the video game tie-in is quite fun and the Lexi Alexander one was so OTT I found it hard to dislike.
Can't imagine the Punisher getting a Disney+ show mind you
Matador
Matador - 12/15/2020, 7:20 AM
@LittleSween - I don't know I didn't really like the Punisher in Lexi doing the helicopter but I did find the bazooka scene extremely funny.
TH29
TH29 - 12/15/2020, 2:36 AM
Enjoyed Bernthal in DD season 2 as Punisher, but thought the actual Punisher show was terrible and boring. A Punisher show is SO easy to get right and on the Netflix show he never felt like the Punisher but more like some CSI/conspiracy crap running around playing house with Micro's wife and spending two seasons or whatever on his overly complicated and convoluted origin. He regressed from being the actual Punisher in DD.
TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 12/15/2020, 3:13 AM
@TH29 - This perfectly summarizes what i came here to say. Thanks dude.
globaltravels
globaltravels - 12/15/2020, 3:29 AM
@TH29 - I think they just couldn’t do the violence on the show.
Origame
Origame - 12/15/2020, 6:43 AM
@TH29 - its actually pretty hard, considering the punisher is a psychopath who left war wanting to fight someone and the death of his family only served to give him a target to kill that he wouldnt feel guilty over. That can make a great show, but marvel isnt gonna wanna put their banner over it.
Tonic24k
Tonic24k - 12/15/2020, 7:26 AM
@Origame - Marvel won't put their banner over it? Lol, it's a Marvel IP. The dilemma comes with Disney. And it's not that they don't want to do it, but you have a century of "family friendly" legacy to consider. Which doesn't mean they won't find a way to do it. They just have to manage this evolution properly so the Disney brand is maintained and separated from the adult-natured content their other labels carry.
TH29
TH29 - 12/20/2020, 9:32 PM
@Origame - Daredevil already had plenty of violence, including all the stuff Punisher did on that show. All they had to do was have him hunt criminals and ditch the excess side characters that added nothing. They could have done whatever they wanted with it in this Netflix series, and made it good, but they went the complete WRONG direction.
TH29
TH29 - 12/20/2020, 11:32 PM
@globaltravels - I am sorry but That makes no sense. Kingpin literally beheaded a guy with a car door, Punisher killed like 10 guys in jail ..extremely violently. Not to mention shooting people point blank in the face. They could, they just went some soft ass version of him for the show.
Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 12/15/2020, 2:36 AM
That was a damn good short, yo.
parkerray
parkerray - 12/15/2020, 2:41 AM
2nd season felt much more like a Garth Ennis comic. Better than any of the movies, too.
TheNZNatural
TheNZNatural - 12/15/2020, 2:45 AM
Man, I'd have Jane himself back as Frank at this point. Older and gruffer, he'd kill it with the right material.
Chappers
Chappers - 12/15/2020, 3:07 AM
I loved the 2004 Punisher
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 12/15/2020, 3:10 AM
Both are great Punisher, but I'm not sure I want a Punisher movie. Would rather see him in a show with Daredevil, Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, Blade and Ghost Rider.
GothamSon
GothamSon - 12/15/2020, 3:22 AM
Doors and corners, Frank. Remember that.

bcom
bcom - 12/15/2020, 3:27 AM
The Punisher directing The Punisher in a Punisher movie... is that like, some sort of Punisher inception?
Toecutter
Toecutter - 12/15/2020, 4:23 AM
@bcom - Written and produced by Dolph Lundgren and Ray Stevenson.
Origame
Origame - 12/15/2020, 6:45 AM
@Toecutter - with a cameo from that dude who does the punisher stuff for batinthesun.
manofillintent1
manofillintent1 - 12/15/2020, 4:06 AM
ATrueHero1987
ATrueHero1987 - 12/15/2020, 4:19 AM
My favorite theatrical version of Frank Castle is Thomas Jane.

SN: watched both seasons of The Punisher recently. Notice that Punisher would shush some of his victims like he's just going to spank them, LOL.
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 12/15/2020, 4:27 AM
I read that as "Thomas Jane To Direct Jon Bernthal In A New Movie" and nearly had a heart attack lol
MuadDib
MuadDib - 12/15/2020, 5:32 AM
Dirty Laundry all day, that and the Prison scene w/ Bernthal GOAT
WeaponXCII
WeaponXCII - 12/15/2020, 5:38 AM
Always loved the 2004 movie and Jane’s depiction. Bernthal was good, but the show around him wasn’t straightforward enough for me. Just want to see the Punisher punishing.
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 12/15/2020, 5:56 AM
I'm actually into this lol could be good
NotoriousWolf23
NotoriousWolf23 - 12/15/2020, 6:00 AM
Loved Jane as the punisher
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