Thomas Jane Nixes Idea of Reprising The Punisher Role, Said He Was Miscast

Thomas Jane, the actor who played the gun-toting Frank Castle in 2004's The Punisher says he wasn't the right person to play the Marvel vigilante.

via: World of Reel

While out promoting his new film “Frontier Crucible,” Jane was asked by ComicBookMovie.com's Josh Wilding about the 2004 ‘Punisher’ and if he’d be open to returning as Frank Castle, to which he nixed the idea, saying he was actually miscast.

He acknowledged the challenges of stepping into the role, saying, “I was miscast as Frank Castle. He’s an Italian. He’s got black hair and a whole different sort of lineage… I’m not that guy.” He further added, “I had to dye my hair black and become a different guy.”

Jane went on to reflect on the experience with gratitude, noting, “I’m happy the part is now played by someone who is more right for that role. I had fun, and I did the best I could with it. I’m very grateful for it, but I’m not that guy.”

That “someone” Jane seems to be referring to is Jon Bernthal who took on the role in the second season of Netflix’s “Daredevil,” and he’s easily had the most success with the character. Before that, Dolph Lundgren, and Ray Stevenson had also taken a crack at the character.

The 2004 Punisher was directed by Jonathan Hensleigh. It was his feature debut, and he later found some success helming “The Ice Road,” starring Liam Neeson—a film successful enough to warrant a sequel, which was released earlier this year. Hensleigh actually started off as a successful screenwriter in the biz as the scribe behind “Die Hard With A Vengeance,” “Armageddon,” “Jumanji,” and “The Saint.”

Jane shouldn’t really be putting his work in the 2004 version down. The film—and the performance—were blunt, brutal, and R-rated, staying true to the bleak spirit of the character and source material. I may be an outlier on this one, but maybe give it another look. It’s a product of a bygone era when a comic-book movie could have real edge and wasn’t afraid to offend.

*****

I'm sorry he feels this way, but I actually liked Thomas Jane as Frank Castle, and I have a soft spot for the first film. However, I will say I liked Ray Stevenson (RIP) in the role a bit more, even though the second film wasn't as good story-wise.

I must also say that I absolutely love Jon Bernthal as Frank as well in the short-lived Punisher series, and the appearances his character has made in Daredevil. I'm actually looking forward to how the Punisher will be utilized in Spider Man: Brand New Day.