Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
After making his small-screen debut last year in Netflix’s Daredevil series, the heavily-armed vigilante known as the Punisher will soon head up his own season of TV. Jon Bernthal will once again bring the tortured, relentless antihero to life in Marvel’s The Punisher on Netflix, continuing his reign as the most popular iteration of the hero to date.
But Bernthal’s emotionally damaged take on the character is far from the first. Before his introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Punisher starred in a trio of feature films released across a span of almost 20 years. That’s fitting of a popular comics character that debuted way back in 1974, then presented as an unhinged nemesis for Spider-Man to thwart. As Frank Castle’s character evolved throughout the ’70s and ’80s, his popularity rose to rival and briefly eclipse Marvel mainstays like Captain America and Iron Man.
His consistent popularity in the comics has inspired a number of filmmakers to try bringing the character to life, but the results have been mixed. Even though the three Punisher films are all R-rated affairs, they differ in tone and adherence to the comic book canon that diehard fans love. Now, thanks to streaming services, you can check out these three flicks before the latest version of the vigilante locks and loads on Netflix. Here’s where you can stream the three Punisher movies.
'The Punisher' (1989)
Who’s Doing The Punishing: Action star and one-time He-Man Dolph Lundgren picks up Frank Castle’s machine gun and gets to work in this very ’80s adaptation.
Who’s Being Punished: The Mafia and the Yakuza.
Comic Connection: This movie hit at the early height of Frank Castle’s comic popularity, having just earned his own ongoing series in 1987. Despite being based on a hot comic property, the 1989 film takes liberties with Punisher canon and it never once puts Lundgren in the vigilante’s signature skull shirt.
Watch If You Like: If you’re into ’80s style action films featuring the era’s signature style of gritty, excessive violence, then this Punisher is for you. If you actually want to watch a Punisher movie that stars the Punisher, keep scrolling.
Available On: The 1989 Punisher was never released in theaters in the US, making it somewhat hard to find. Thankfully, the entire movie has been uploaded to YouTube and is waiting for you to experience it.
'The Punisher' (2004)
Who’s Doing The Punishing: Like Lundgren before him, Thomas Jane dyed his hair black and put his grimace to work as this one-man army.
Who’s Being Punished: John Travolta’s mob boss Howard Saint, the man that ordered the hit on Castle’s family.
Comic Connection: With the success of the Blade, X-Men, and Spider-Man franchises, filmmakers were emboldened to embrace the character’s comic book roots. That means you get a Punisher that looks like the Punisher, and even minor supporting characters like Joan (Rebecca Romijn) and Spacker Dave (Ben Foster). Still, the film takes the character far away from his comic home of New York City and drops him into the middle of the Tampa Bay drug trade, so the film’s vibe is a liiiiiittle different from the comics it’s pulling from.
Watch If You Like: If you like your comic book movies mostly accurate and enjoy a little Florida flair, then this is the Punisher for you. And while it definitely earns its R rating (it is a Punisher movie), it’s a bit more grounded than the other films on this list. And if you enjoy it, you can follow it up with the 2012 unofficial short film follow-up Dirty Laundry, also starring Thomas Jane as a guy that is definitely (but not officially) the Punisher.
Available On: You can stream Thomas Jane’s The Punisher on both Hulu and Netflix!
'Punisher: War Zone' (2008)
Who’s Doing The Punishing: British actor Ray Stevenson was a decade older than his two predecessors when he stepped into the role, making his Frank Castle more grizzled and gruff than ever.
Who’s Being Punished: Dominic West plays the heavily scarred mob boss Jigsaw, marking the very first time that a Punisher film has used a villain from the comics.
Comic Connection: As indicated above, War Zone pulls heavily from the comics, specifically writer Garth Ennis’ mature readers only run on The Punisher MAX. Director Lexi Alexander and Stevenson looked to that run for inspiration, with Alexander even recreating specific action sequences from the ultra violent source material. Even Microchip, Punisher’s righthand man in the comics, appears in the film (played by Wayne Knight!).
Watch If You Like: Insanely gratuitous violence, basically. The Punisher movies have not been well-received by critics, and War Zone’s excessive violence really turned some people off. That hasn’t stopped it from earning a cult following among those that know what Alexander was riffing on (namely, the most intense Punisher comics ever and the bloodiest shoot’em-ups of the ’80s).
Where To Stream: You can find Punisher: War Zone streaming on Showtime Anytime, and you can rent it at all the usual places.
