4 Reasons Why I Think Disney Should Consider Making Another Punisher Movie

It sounds weird to say this out loud, but I don’t think any other Marvel character (besides maybe the Fantastic Four) has had as many chances as Frank Castle, a.k.a. THE Punisher.

Don’t get me wrong. We’ve certainly had more cinematic appearances from characters like Spider-Man or the X-Men, but have studios really taken a “chance” with such popular characters? The Punisher is a hard-R protagonist, and we have three R-rated movies, and a pretty macabre Netflix TV show on the character, and none of them made 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 film. Here’s why.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine — (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

After the success of Deadpool and Wolverine, a Hard R Punisher movie looks like a good mature next film for the MCU

I loved it Deadpool and Wolverine (and I’m certainly 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 film to be under their umbrella.

Yes, there have been other R-rated Marvel movies in the past (as Bladewhich is as good as you remember)but never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d see an R-rated Disney Marvel movie. I mean, this is a studio where Star Lord drops the F-bomb once made headlines. We are now at the point where I can’t even count the number of F-bombs that have been dropped. Deadpool and Wolverine.

That said, a big difference between a character like Deadpool and a character like Punisher is tone. In many ways, all the curses and violence Deadpool and Wolverine could be considered ironic and not taken too seriously.

I actually know a number of kids who love Deadpool. So in that way, Deadpool is a fun character, which kind of minimizes the harshness of the R rating, even if it’s just a little bit.

The Punisher, however, is not fun at all. He’s a character who isn’t against torturing people, or outright killing them, in order to get what he wants. If Deadpool is an “immature” character, then the Punisher is the opposite.

And if any Marvel character was going to get this “serious” R-rated movie, I think it should be Frank Castle. There is already a precedent that has been set by the other Punisher films, and its Netflix show was already very mature.

So if the MCU took this same Punisher and cast him in a movie, I think a lot of people would be thrilled. Plus, this could be the start of a whole new mature line of R-rated MCU films. Who doesn’t want that?

Mike Colter and Krysten Ritter in Jessica Jones

(Image credit: Netflix)

The movie could be based on Netflix’s Marvel shows

Another thing I really enjoyed Deadpool and Wolverine was (what else?) the exhaustive list of cameos Fox Marvel movies.

Now I know the cameos weren’t for everyone (and the director himself doesn’t really like that some people thought 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 just as easily have been your standard third film in a franchise.

That said, I think it would be really cool if a fourth movie could do something similar, but with characters we’ve seen in the Netflix Marvel shows.

We already have characters like Daredevil and Kingpin in the super bingeable series, Echobut I want to see other Marvel Netflix characters return, like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and, dare I say, Iron Fist (Okay, no, no. Please remove that last one from the discs).

I really think this could be some sort of reunion for the Marvel Netflix series, which was often just as good (or better) than the shows we have on Disney+. Come on now, you know you want to see Jessica Jones and Luke Cage return. I can’t be the only one.

Hammerhead shark

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

This could open the door for even more street-level characters not yet established in the MCU

For a while I thought I’d never see my favorite Marvel character, Moon Knight, in the MCU, and then I got a whole TV series about him. Now during the show It wasn’t everything I hoped and dreamed of that would be the case, I like how this brought a more street level Marvel character to the mainstream. It was pretty cool.

However, there are quite a few other street-level Marvel characters that we haven’t yet included in the MCU, and I think a fourth Punisher movie would be the perfect place to put them.

For example, even though we got Tombstone Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versewe still haven’t had him in the MCU, and I would love to see him. The same goes for Hammerhead, who would be an interesting character to add to the roster.

And what about Mr. Negative? I know he’s a little more supernatural, but I’m sure they could make it work.

Coming back to Moon Knight, wouldn’t it be cool if he and the Punisher teamed up in a movie? I’m just spitting now, but the sky really is the limit for a Punisher movie if they decide to fill it with street-level Marvel characters. This could be sick.

The Punisher in prison, doing what he does best.

(Image credit: Netflix)

This could very easily lead to a new season for the character on Disney+

Finally, I know that the Punisher could very well get his own Disney+ TV series after he appears in the next show, Daredevil: Born Againbut wouldn’t it be cool if this cameo led to an independent film, and SO did we release a Disney+ show?

I actually think it’s important because there may be a lot of people who never watched the movie in the first place. The Punisher on Netflix, and Born again could very well be their introduction to the character.

Perhaps the Punisher will have a major role in this story, but he could also have a minor role in the narrative, much like Daredevil did in Echo. Regardless, I think it’s important for Disney to give the Punisher his 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 mood for a new series, and it could also differentiate it from the series we’ve already gotten from Netflix. This way, perhaps he can become an even bigger 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 will there be a fourth Punisher movie?