Before Jon Bernthal became synonymous with The Punisher, a few earlier iterations of the fan-favorite vigilante graced the big screen with known actors taking a turn playing the antihero. Among them is the late Ray Stevenson’s underrated Punisher: War Zone which is now streaming free on Tubi. Punisher: War Zone follows the titular vigilante, Frank Castle, as he continues his war on crime and corruption, going up against the sadistic mobster Billy, who is seeking vengeance after Punisher left his face horribly mutilated. War Zone marks the third feature film adaptation of The Punisher after the 1989 movie starring Dolph Lundgren and the 2004 flick starring Thomas Jane, both simply titled The Punisher.
Punisher: War Zone features Dominic West as antagonist Billy Russoti/Jigsaw, Doug Hutchison as James Russoti, Colin Salmon as FBI Agent Paul, Wayne Knight as Linus Lieberman/Microchip, Dash Mihok as Detective Martin Soap, Julie Benz as Angela, and Mark Camacho as Carmine. Also rounding off the cast are Romano Orzari, Keram Malicki-Sánchez, T. J. Storm, Carlos Gonzalez-Vio, David Vadim, and Aubert Pallascio.
The feature was a commercial failure at the box office upon its release, grossing $10 million worldwide. It garnered mixed reviews and scored a 29% Rotten Tomatoes rating from critics while the audience score sits higher, but still low at 42%. Despite everything, the movie in time has become a cult classic owing to its killer soundtrack, action, and performances. War Zone also marked the last film made before the character rights returned to Marvel Studios.
The Punisher Will Return in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
Years later Bernthal took up the role for Netflix, appearing in the Charlie Cox-led Daredevil series and a standalone series titled, The Punisher. The series created by Steve Lightfoot won fans’ hearts and Bernthal‘s portrayal of the character is maniacal, full of gore, and heartbreaking. Marvel is set to bring the character back in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again, which is, in spirit, Daredevil Season 4, given we are meeting the same characters in a different stage of life.
Speaking to Collider, Bernthal revealed what brought him back to the character, saying:
“I think there’s a little bit of Frank Castle in everybody. He exists very strongly inside me and I care about that character deeply. I also know that it’s absolutely essential that if we do it, we do it right, and we have real sacred integrity to the source material and to what is at the core of Frank. I’m gonna do my absolute best to make sure that, if and when we do it, we do it right.”
Punisher: War Zone is streaming on Tubi. Daredevil: Born Again will debut this March.
via Collider