5 Punisher Tales That Are Good For The Subsequent Marvel Highlight Particular

Followers of the Netflix-era Marvel reveals — often known as the Defenders Saga after they joined the remainder of Marvel Studios’ fare — are little doubt ready for “Daredevil: Born Once more,” not least as a result of the present will see the return of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. Bernthal delivered what might very nicely be the definitive model of Marvel Comics’ famed violent vigilante in “Daredevil” season 2 (2015), and returned for 2 seasons of a solo present referred to as “The Punisher” (2017-2019). 

Fortuitously, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is just not solely reviving the character, however we already know what Bernthal’s MCU Punisher will do after “Daredevil: Born Once more.” His subsequent venture shall be a Disney+ particular directed by Reinaldo Marcus Inexperienced (“Monsters and Males,” “King Richard”), within the one-off vein of the enjoyable 2022 monster film homage “Werewolf By Evening.” This is how Marvel Tv chief Brad Winderbaum described this upcoming standalone: 

“It is like a shotgun blast of a narrative, but in addition has all of the pathos and emotion that you really want out of a Frank Citadel story. It is so thrilling.”

Bernthal, who’s co-writing the script with Inexperienced, has already posted a teaser picture of a selected Punisher comedian on Instagram. It is the quilt of “The Punisher” difficulty #53 from 1991, which tells a story referred to as “The Finger” — itself part of a bigger storyline referred to as “The Ultimate Days.” This may increasingly or might not become a affirmation that the particular intends to adapt this explicit storyline, however earlier than we discover out for certain, it is price trying into among the most interesting, most MCU-worthy Punisher tales on the market that could possibly be used as supply materials for the one-off particular. Listed below are 5 of our favorites. 

The Garth Ennis-penned “The Punisher MAX” collection (2004-2008) focuses on a steadily growing older however significantly cruel Punisher who pushes himself to finish as many criminals as he presumably can earlier than his battle-worn physique offers up. Arguably the best “Punisher” run within the character’s publication historical past, “MAX” options no scarcity of wonderful tales to adapt — for example, it could be wild to see Marvel Tv ship a trustworthy adaptation of the ruthless human trafficking story “The Slavers.” Nevertheless, there’s one arc that may make for a very attention-grabbing MCU model: “Barracuda” (2006).

This story takes the Punisher to Florida, the place he plans to conflict with corrupt businessmen. Sadly, they see him coming and rent Barracuda – a hulking egomaniac with a nasty mindset, a CIA wetwork background, and a deep bag of terrifying methods. Barracuda is successfully a stronger, much less ethical model of Frank Citadel, and the pair’s extended collection of clashes is simply as violent and casualty-filled as you may think. This assembly is one thing Jon Bernthal himself has hoped to see for fairly a while. Whereas attending “The Strolling Useless”-themed Walker Stalker Cruise in 2018, he answered a fan query about potential future “The Punisher” antagonists:

“Barracuda. I would prefer to see Barracuda. I would actually prefer to get again in with D’Onofrio, with Kingpin. I imply, there’s so many twisted characters. However you recognize, I am actually desirous to see … ah, s***, I am gonna get in hassle. Let’s simply see what occurs, man. Let’s simply see what occurs.”

That is attention-grabbing as a result of as talked about earlier, Bernthal is co-writing the upcoming particular’s script with director Reinaldo Marcus Inexperienced. If he nonetheless feels the identical means about Barracuda, there is a respectable likelihood that the character will issue within the story in a method or one other.

The 1986 “Circle of Blood” storyline marked Frank Citadel’s first standalone miniseries. As such, it has loads of significance within the character’s historical past, which makes it particularly worthy of adaptation. It additionally occurs to be an excellent story that mainly begs for a live-action model. “Circle of Blood” explores what it means to be the Punisher, what it takes to put on the mantle, and why Frank’s distinctive mentality, expertise, and tragic previous make him the one particular person actually appropriate for the unsavory job. 

The story begins when an odd group referred to as the Belief breaks Frank out of jail and helps him cope with the Kingpin and numerous warring gang factions. Sadly, the Belief sees Frank as a blueprint for a grander function, and its true purpose is to create an entire military of lethal, brainwashed Punishers. Understandably, the unique model would not significantly take care of the thought.

Since “Daredevil: Born Once more” might find yourself eradicating Kingpin from New York Metropolis’s crime equation in a method or one other, the “Circle of Blood” post-Kingpin chaos premise would make it a fairly pure method to proceed the MCU Punisher’s story. Moreover, the considerable and patently unwelcome Punisher imitators this story rolls out would enable the particular to make a degree or two about the true world far-righters who’ve been identified to co-opt the cranium shirt.  

In 2000, author Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon kicked off the 12-issue “Welcome Again, Frank” story that revitalized and grounded the Punisher after some actually embarrassing supernatural adventures as an agent of Heaven (sure, actually). The story is Punisher at his purest: Frank Citadel targets and methodically dismantles a strong New York mafia household whereas that household makes an attempt to combat again. It strikes an ideal steadiness between the character’s street-level ruthlessness, distinctive ethical code, and skill to take down foes who’re technically much more highly effective than him. In some ways, it is the quintessential Punisher story that distills the character to his purest vengeful type whereas nonetheless doing justice to the advanced character that boils below the stone-faced floor.  

Whereas the prolonged arc would want some streamlining to work on a presumably hour-long small display particular, “Welcome Again, Frank” can be a becoming first MCU solo arc for everybody’s favourite skull-chested vigilante, proper all the way down to its identify. As a bonus, the storyline additionally options its share of comedic parts, which would lend themselves extraordinarily nicely to the well-known MCU tendency to cleanse the viewers’s palate with humor at common intervals. Handily for the eternally sequel-minded franchise, there’s even a cool follow-up story: “Up Is Down and Black Is White” (2005) raises the stakes when a very sadistic member of the Cavella household returns from exile to imagine command and reap imaginatively brutal vengeance. 

Jon Berthal’s model of the Punisher may match Garth Ennis’ stylings nicely, however he additionally bears notable similarities to author Greg Rucka’s imaginative and prescient of the character. In 2011, Rucka and artist Marco Chechetto rolled out their explicit tackle Frank Citadel with a prolonged 16-issue story arc referred to as “The Change.” 

Cleverly, Rucka’s story combines the Punisher’s normal lethal antics — right here, a combat towards a harmful crime group referred to as the Change — with entertainingly bleak procedural drama. Numerous regulation enforcement figures obtain as a lot (and infrequently extra) consideration as Frank himself, because the comedian explores the authorities’ wrestle towards extremely harmful criminals and their advanced relationship with the Punisher. In the end, there are only a few winners on this recreation. 

As with “Welcome Again, Frank,” the sizable story arc would doubtless want loads of condensing or cherry-picking with a purpose to change into a charming story that may be advised with only one Marvel particular. Nevertheless, its central thought of juxtaposing common cops with the Punisher has all of the makings of an attention-grabbing live-action story, exploring the Punisher mythos from logical however sudden angles that may work very nicely within the MCU. 

Look, there is not any means they will adapt this if the one-off particular is not animated. Nonetheless, since we’re spitballing story concepts, it could be borderline prison to exclude this 1995 Marvel Alterniverse one-off, which is precisely what it says on the label. Garth Ennis’ (sure, him once more) “Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe” is a extreme reimagining of Frank Citadel’s historical past, the place his household dies in the course of the Avengers’ and the X-Males’s battle towards a giant alien risk. You’ll be able to most likely guess what occurs subsequent. As an alternative of concentrating on criminals, Frank shoots the primary superhero who provides his apologies (thanks for coming, Cyclops) and begins a brand new life as a champion for the collateral victims of superhero battles. This very a lot includes killing each superpowered particular person he can get his palms on. 

Seeing the Punisher use his guerrilla techniques to take down nearly each main Earth-based participant within the Marvel universe — as much as and together with powerhouses like Hulk — is a powerful trip, particularly since “Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe” seems like a real, grim “Punisher gone improper” story as an alternative of the sort of wacky alternate-universe romp the premise may suggest. If just for price range causes, we’re extremely unlikely to see Bernthal’s Punisher mow his means via each main identify within the MCU roster, so greater than another story on this listing, a live-action adaptation of this explicit arc looks as if a pipe dream. Nonetheless, “Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe” is a worthy and entertaining exploration of the character, and on the very least, it could make an attention-grabbing episode of “What If…?” sooner or later down the road.