07/24/2010 - Marvel gets Punisher movie license back, reportedly planning new film

Is our boy coming back to the big screen? From Cinema Blend:

Hollywood has tried and failed to make a decent movie out of Marvel’s Punisher comics three times now. You’d think they’d be ready to cry uncle, but today at Marvel’s Comic Con panel, company head Kevin Feige revealed that they’re doing it again.

Feige says that the character is under the welcoming roof of Marvel Studios now and they want to take their own shot at it. Specifically he said he’s hoping for a “Frank Castle” movie shortly, using the real name for Punisher’s vigilante character. Does that suggest they’ll do something more focused on the personal life of Castle? Something more rooted in reality without all the weird black outfits and crazed lust for vengeance? Personally I don’t see the point. They’ve tried everything there is to try with this character, the most recent try was Punisher: War Zone back in 2008. It’s really time someone said stop and let it go. But Marvel, it seems, thinks fourth time is the charm. Here comes The Punisher, yet again.

For more complete Comic Con coverage go here.

My two cents? To say Hollywood “failed” in making the Punisher movies isn’t accurate. Sure, things have been pretty ugly with Punisher films if you pay attention to the situations that surround them… the 1989 Dolph Lundgren version didn’t even get in to theaters in the US and neither 2004′s Thomas Jane film or 2008′s “War Zone” drew in enough of a theater audience to make a financial splash. Despite that, I find all of them have moments that make them completely worthy of our hero’s name (though I’ll always be partial to War Zone for coming closest to the source material.)

My public service announcement is this: being cynical won’t pay off for us bystanders (I’m talking to you, Cinema Blend!) Let the film makers do their thing and have the final product speak for itself. Let’s all hope that Marvel bringing the character they introduced back in to their own studios delivers satisfaction to all of us… fans and film makers alike.

Of course, that all goes out the window if it’s Franken-Castle we’re talking about.