Ever since superhero movies and television became popular, fans have debated which actors are the perfect fit for their characters. The debate has escalated over the years, especially when multiple actors have played iconic characters like Superman and Spider-Man. Nine years ago, one of the best actor-to-character pairings came when Jon Bernthal took on Frank Castle in The Punisher. In the process, Bernthal delivered one of the grittiest and most action-packed comic book adaptations in history.
Bernthal first played Castle in Daredevil, where he laid the groundwork for his eventual solo debut. There, he embarked on a hunt for the men who killed his wife and children, coming to physical and moral blows with Matt Murdock along the way. The Punisher continues this character journey, but throws a few wrinkles into Frank’s way: a partner in tech expert David Liberman, aka “Micro” (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the return of fellow soldier Billy Russo (Ben Barnes), and Dinah Madani (Amber Rose Revah), a Homeland Security agent determined to bring him in.
‘The Punisher’ doesn’t shy away from the character’s complexity
Part of the appeal of the Punisher is that, unlike other Marvel characters, he has no special abilities; he relies mostly on his military training and arsenal of firearms to deliver his own brand of justice to the wicked. Yet he also realizes that no matter how many criminals he kills, it won’t fill the void within him. In the afterword to Punisher: The King of Killers, Jason Aaron argues that Frank Castle’s life is a tragedy. The Punisher series deals with this, showing that Castle suffers immense PTSD from his time as a soldier in addition to the loss of his family, and that he only truly feels at peace when he slaughters the wicked. Bernthal expanded upon this in an interview, saying that it’s what drove him to play the character:
“He ain’t got a f***ing cape. He ain’t got any superpowers. He’s a f***ing tortured, angry father and husband who’s living in this unbelievable world of darkness and loss and torment.”
Both seasons of The Punisher also give Castle plenty of chances to vent his fury upon the guilty. In Season 1, it’s revealed that Russo is behind the events that led to Castle’s family’s deaths, and Castle eventually takes his revenge by grinding his former friend’s face into a mirror. This doesn’t kill Russo, but transforms him into the heavily scarred villain Jigsaw. That scene also one of many blood-soaked action sequences in The Punisher‘s run; whether it’s through firefights, knives, or his bare hands, Castle finds many ways to deliver death.
Jon Bernthal recently returned to play the Punisher
When The Punisher ended in 2019, it felt like the end of Jon Bernthal’s tenure as the character. That proved short-lived, thanks to Disney+ resurrecting Marvel’s Netflix heroes with Daredevil: Born Again. It took discussions with Bernthal and a creative overhaul involving Punisher writer Dario Scardapane, but Frank Castle eventually made his return — and in a moment that fans had been waiting for, he wound up denouncing a group of police officers who used his symbol to commit brutal murders, then gunned most of them down in cold blood.
Bernthal wasn’t done with the character yet; he also co-wrote and starred in the Marvel Special Presentation The Punisher: One Last Kill and co-starred in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. If fans want to see more of his work, they should definitely revisit The Punisher as it’s brutal, uncompromising, and hard-hitting — just like Frank Castle.