All of the Different Frank Castles Ranked

Ahead of The Punisher on Netflix, Ben Robins ranks all of the different Frank Castles…

In an almost unprecedented act of genius, Marvel’s long lost, secretly loved but consistently butchered anti-hero The Punisher is finally getting his own ultra-violent spin-off series. And with star of just about every crime/drama movie/series in the last few years Jon Bernthal returning to re-don the skull-soaked tee after his first bow in Daredevil season 2, it feels like the perfect time to revisit all of the temporary Frank Castles that came before him.

Because it seems that Bernthal is actually here to stay, something that can’t be said of any of the hard-nosed actors that leapt into the role before him. In fact, Bernthal’s return to the role is the first time anybody has ever played the character more than once in an official context. Although as you’ll soon see, that doesn’t really have much to do with the quality of the performances themselves…

4. Dolph Lundgren – The Punisher (1989)

The original big-screen Frank Castle, Dolph Lundgren starred in Mark Goldblatt’s short-lived and largely forgotten actioner, which ditched the famous skull-design and angled for a more straight-up revenge movie vibe. So, although he was technically playing Frank Castle, Lundgren was essentially just being the same gun-toting bicep-curler he was all the way through the 80s.

Even more weirdly though, this first stab at bringing the cult favourite comic character to life was actually produced by Australian production company New World Pictures, and was never released theatrically in the US (technically making it ‘ozploitation’). So it comes as no surprise that a lot of people don’t remember that the famous beefcake blondie Lundgren once donned a bad dye job and ran around calling himself The Punisher.

Rumours at the time suggested that Lundgren still took the role pretty seriously though, shunning sleep and training a ridiculous amount every day in order to get the right withered look, and he’s certainly not a bad actor by any stretch. He’s just not Frank Castle. It’s probably more the fact that Goldblatt (more famous as the editor of Hollywood heavy-hitters like Terminator 2 and Rise of the Planet of the Apes) didn’t really seem to get what made the character special too, and to be fair to him, the best comic book iterations were still a decade or so away at that point. This one just came a little too early.

3. Ray Stevenson – Punisher: War Zone (2008)

Arguably the most brutal on-screen version of Castle to date, Ray Stevenson’s portrayal was a whole lot more super-human. Shunning dialogue in favour of smooshing bad guy skulls with his bare-fists, Lexi Alexander’s tremendously grim War Zone take is certainly more comic-booky, but still far from the sort of well-rounded treatment Frank deserves. Opting to go a lot more intense and full-on than the previous efforts, Stevenson’s Punisher comes off as a morose and actually kind of scary individual, often killing (in seriously grisly fashion) for what feels like no real reason at all.

There’s obviously a need for the character to be unwavering in his brutality, but here he just felt unhinged; like there was no humanity left in him, and so, no real way for the audience to get on board with his crusade either. Stevenson usually gets a lot of fan praise for just how far he takes the character, and here he places higher than Lundgren for that exact reason (at least he makes some attempt at actually being The Punisher, even if it is a slightly misjudged one), but compared to the next few, there’s quite a wide gap in quality it must be said.

…Click below to continue on to the second page…

Pages: 1 2

2. Jon Bernthal – Daredevil (2016) & The Punisher (2017)

When Jon Bernthal first showed up on-screen in the early episodes of Daredevil’s second season, two things became very abundantly clear: 1. The MCU just got the darkest it’s ever going to get, and 2. He’s definitely here to stay. You could probably argue that it’s not entirely fair, since Bernthal got a whole TV series (well, first it was more like half a series, and in a fairly supporting role) to grow and develop the character, but he’s almost instantly incredible as Frank Castle here.

Leaning more heavily on Castle’s tragic past and military background, Bernthal’s Punisher is unquestionably violent, but in a very real, very emotional context. Like Stevenson’s, he doesn’t scare easy and never hesitates when tearing people apart with his bare hands. But like the original, he’s a seriously grounded, three-dimensional figure too; one with an admittedly damaged mentality, who walks a very thin line between hero and villain. Put simply, he’s actually complicated, not just a psycho gun-nut with a thousand-yard stare.

1. Thomas Jane – The Punisher (2004), The Punisher: Video Game (2005), Dirty Laundry (2012)

But it must be said, when it comes to cementing the definitive on-screen Punisher, Thomas Jane is simply unbeatable. First starring as the tortured vigilante in Jonathan Hensleigh’s hugely under-appreciated 2004 blockbuster, Jane went on to reprise the role in the follow-up video-game (which in itself, totally nailed the character too) and eventually a Comic-Con exclusive fan film, as part of Adi Shankar’s Bootleg Universe. He was even well-up for starring in War Zone too, until a change of heart by the studio led to some much fabled “creative differences”.

As well as possessing a frankly godly voice, Jane is about as likeable as leading men come, and the fact that Hensleigh’s film spends a whole bunch more time building the character’s tragic origins definitely helps. As Frank Castle here, he not only nails the look (which leant very heavily on the trench-coat wearing MAX version Garth Ennis had just started publishing at the time), all of the brutality he shows feels entirely necessary as well. He’s probably a little more softer around the edges than Bernthal’s or Stevenson’s versions, but Jane really uses that to his advantage, making for a Punisher that’s still dark and violent, wracked by fear and guilt, but one that retains plenty of humanity. In a nutshell, Jane’s is the most obviously cinematic portrayal, and certainly the most well-rounded.

After exacting revenge on those responsible for the death of his wife and children, Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) uncovers a conspiracy that runs far deeper than New York’s criminal underworld. Now known throughout the city as The Punisher, he must discover the truth about injustices that affect more than his family alone.

The Punisher features a cast that includes Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), Ben Barnes (Billy Russo), Jason R Moore (Curtis Hoyle), Michael Nathanson (Sam Stein), Daniel Webber (Lewis Walcott), Amber Rose Revah (Dinah Madani), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Micro), Jaime Ray Newman (Sarah Lieberman), Paul Schulze (Bill Rawlins), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Farah Madani) and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in an as-yet-unrevealed role. It premieres on Netflix on November 17th.