It sounds weird saying this out loud, but I don't think any other Marvel character (Besides maybe the Fantastic Four) has been given as many chances as Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher.
Now, don't get me wrong. We've definitely gotten more cinematic appearances by characters like Spider-Man, or the X-Men, but were the studios really taking “a chance” with such popular characters? The Punisher is a hard-R protagonist, and we've gotten three R-rated movies, and a pretty grisly Netflix TV show about the character, and none of those made nearly as much money as Spider-Man or the X-Men.
That said, I still think Disney should try again with the character for a fourth movie. Here's why.
After The Success Of Deadpool & Wolverine, A Hard R Punisher Movie Sounds Like A Good Next Mature Film For The MCU
I loved Deadpool & Wolverine (and I’m definitely not alone), but the one thing that really impressed me was that the powers that be at Disney would even allow such a gloriously profane and violent movie to be underneath their umbrella.
Yes, there have been other R-rated Marvel movies in the past (like Blade, which is just as good as you remember it being), but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would see an R-rated Disney Marvel movie. I mean, this is a studio where Star Lord dropping the F-bomb once made headlines. Now we’re at a point where I can’t even count the number of F-bombs that were dropped in Deadpool & Wolverine.
That said, a big difference between a character like Deadpool and a character like the Punisher is the tone. In a lot of ways, all of the cursing and violence in Deadpool & Wolverine could be seen as being tongue-in-cheek, and not to be taken too seriously.
In fact, I know a number of children who love Deadpool. So, in that way, Deadpool is a fun character, which kind of minimizes the harshness of the R-rating, even if just a little bit.
The Punisher, however, is not about fun at all. This is a character who is not against torturing people, or killing them outright, in order to get what he wants. If Deadpool is an “immature” character, then the Punisher is the polar opposite.
And, if any Marvel character were to get that “serious” R-rated movie, I think it should be Frank Castle. There’s already a precedent that’s been set by the other Punisher films, and his Netflix show was already very mature as it was.
So, if the MCU were to take that same Punisher and throw him into a movie, I think a lot of people would be pleased. Plus, it could be the start of a whole new mature line of R-rated MCU flicks. Who doesn’t want that?
The Movie Could Pull From The Netflix Marvel Shows
Another thing I really enjoyed about Deadpool & Wolverine was (what else?) the exhaustive list of cameos from the Fox Marvel movies.
Now, I know the cameos weren’t for everyone (and the director himself doesn’t really like that some people think they were only there for shock-value), but I think they really added to the story, and created a legacy project out of something that could have just as easily been your standard third movie in a franchise.
With that said, I think that it would be really cool if a fourth movie could do something similar, but with characters that we saw in the Netflix Marvel shows instead.
We already have characters like Daredevil and Kingpin in the super bingeable series, Echo, but I want to see other Marvel Netflix characters return, like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and dare I say, Iron Fist (Okay, no, no. Please strike that last one from the records).
I really do think this could be a reunion of sorts for the Marvel Netflix series, which were often just as good (or even better) than the shows we’ve gotten on Disney+. Come on now, you know you want to see Jessica Jones and Luke Cage return. I can’t be the only one.
It Could Open The Door To Even More Street Level Characters Not Yet Established In The MCU
For a time, I thought I would never see my favorite Marvel character, Moon Knight, in the MCU, and then I got a whole TV series about him. Now, while the show wasn’t everything I hoped and dreamed it would be, I do like how it brought a more street-level Marvel character to the mainstream. That was pretty cool.
However, there are quite a few other street-level Marvel characters who we still haven’t gotten in the MCU yet, and I think a fourth Punisher film would be the perfect place to put them.
For example, even though we got Tombstone in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we still haven’t gotten him in the MCU, and I would love to see him. Same goes for Hammerhead, who would be an interesting character to add to the roster.
Also, what about Mr. Negative? I know he’s a bit more on the supernatural side, but I’m sure they could make it work.
To go back to Moon Knight, how cool would it be if he and the Punisher teamed up in a movie? I’m just spitballing now, but the sky really is the limit for a Punisher flick if they should decide to fill it up with street-level Marvel characters. It could be sick.
It Could Very Easily Lead Into A New Season For The Character On Disney+
Lastly, I know that the Punisher might very well get his own Disney+ TV series after he appears in the upcoming show, Daredevil: Born Again, but wouldn’t it be cool if that appearance led into a standalone movie, and then we got a Disney+ show out of it?
I actually think this is important, because there might be a large swath of people who never originally watched The Punisher on Netflix, and Born Again might very well be their introduction to the character.
Perhaps the Punisher will have a major role in that story, but he might also have a minor role in the narrative, kind of like Daredevil did in Echo. Whatever the case, I think it’s important for Disney to give the Punisher his very own moment to shine, and the best place for that would be in a movie before giving him his own TV series.
A hard-R Punisher movie could set the vibe for a new show, and it could also differentiate it from the series we already got from Netflix. In this way, perhaps he can become an even bigger household name than he already is, which would be the perfect opportunity to then give him his own series. Just a thought.
What do you think? Should there be a fourth Punisher movie?
