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FOX to produce "Punisher" pilot

Turtletrekker

Turtletrekker

Admiral
Admiral
Although, it seems to me to be more "Punisher-in-name-only".

...the adaptation, from Criminal Minds showrunner Ed Bernero, will transform the comic book antihero Frank Castle into a rising-star detective in the New York Police Department who moonlights as a vigilante, seeking justice for those the courts have failed. Bernero will executive produce along with Marvel.
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Not interested. If you're not going to do the character right, then call him something else.
 
Maybe this is will be a Smallville-esque prequel. If anything it would be better to put it on FX than on Fox.
 
I like The Punisher so I am kinda excited about this...but really need to wait to see something before getting too excited or disappointed. ;)
 
Sounds too much like Persons of Interest, one guy going around being a vigilante badass in New York is fine for a couple episodes, but it needs some more hooks for a full series premise.
 
Sigh... how long will it take for Marvel to cast a live-action Punisher as a freakin' villain?! Amazing Spider Man 2, hello, McFly?
 
I know people don't like the actor because of SMALLVILLE...

twpun.png


I can totally see Tom Welling as Frank Castle/The Punisher. :p

Tom actually played Clark on Red K & Alt U Clark/Ultraman pretty well. ;)
 
It could be done well as a prequel type idea. We could spend a season with Frank and his family; get to know them and like them while Frank dabbles in his super hero vigilante role as the media labeled "Punisher". Then at the end of the season, Frank's activities as the Punisher catch up with him and his entire family is killed. Season two focuses on vengeful, unstable Frank trying to balance his blood thirsty hunt with his job on the police force. Season three focuses on the truth coming out with Frank becomng more unstable on the run as a wanted man. Etc.

I really think this kind of thing is what the Punisher has been missing in live action and why it hasn't connected to the public. All we've been given is this sadistic asshole who has a 15 second flashback to a picnic every once in awhile; we're never given much to use in sympathizing with or understanding Frank.
 
Meh. Surely 3 unsuccessful movies tend to show that Punisher doesn't really work in a live-action format? And, as has been said already, why bother calling this character Punisher if he's going to be entirely different (a young cop by day, vigilante by night - WTF?!).

Punisher might work on a tv series but you'd need to do it on HBO or cable to do it properly.
 
TemporalFlux said:
It could be done well as a prequel type idea. We could spend a season with Frank and his family; get to know them and like them while Frank dabbles in his super hero vigilante role as the media labeled "Punisher". Then at the end of the season, Frank's activities as the Punisher catch up with him and his entire family is killed. Season two focuses on vengeful, unstable Frank trying to balance his blood thirsty hunt with his job on the police force. Season three focuses on the truth coming out with Frank becomng more unstable on the run as a wanted man. Etc.

I really think this kind of thing is what the Punisher has been missing in live action and why it hasn't connected to the public. All we've been given is this sadistic asshole who has a 15 second flashback to a picnic every once in awhile; we're never given much to use in sympathizing with or understanding Frank.
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I could see something like this working. Spend the first season letting the audience connect with his family and then BAM! They all die in the season 1 finale. It would be quite a shock to the audience not familiar with the Punisher.
 
That description sounds totally out of character for the Punisher. How does the Punisher seek justice since those he kills are denied due process?
 
Zombie Seeker said:
TemporalFlux said:
It could be done well as a prequel type idea. We could spend a season with Frank and his family; get to know them and like them while Frank dabbles in his super hero vigilante role as the media labeled "Punisher". Then at the end of the season, Frank's activities as the Punisher catch up with him and his entire family is killed. Season two focuses on vengeful, unstable Frank trying to balance his blood thirsty hunt with his job on the police force. Season three focuses on the truth coming out with Frank becomng more unstable on the run as a wanted man. Etc.

I really think this kind of thing is what the Punisher has been missing in live action and why it hasn't connected to the public. All we've been given is this sadistic asshole who has a 15 second flashback to a picnic every once in awhile; we're never given much to use in sympathizing with or understanding Frank.
Click to expand...

I could see something like this working. Spend the first season letting the audience connect with his family and then BAM! They all die in the season 1 finale. It would be quite a shock to the audience not familiar with the Punisher.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I was thinking it could be. Show the character development of Frank Castle.
 
I always thought it would have been best to tell the story of The Punisher in a tv show format, not awful movies with possible homersexual John Travolta.

Have him start out as a loving family man, then he watches them get murdered, the courts fail him, and we see his bitterness and anger turn in to the darkness that is The Punisher. I think that would be pretty damn epic actually.

Seems like the Fox has decided to go the worst possible way about it though, which I find absolutely shocking.

Like someone else said, you do this on an HBO it would probably knock our socks off.
 
So he would be cop during the day and vigilante during his time off from work. Besides of when is the guy is going to get some sleep..the idea sounds stupid. Wont he end up investigating himself at some point, too?
If he is a regular cop and ex-marine whos family is killed..and then turns to a vigilante, now that would be better.
But I agree with other posters here..make it well and true to the origins or do not make it all:cool:
 
Punisher on FOX = final nail in the coffin

Do we really expect it to last 6 episodes?

As noted it could be done right...on cable.
I also don't like removing his military background.
Perhaps if the show indicated he has become cop AFTER leaving the armed services I could go with that.
I think a whole season "getting to know the family" is too much. I'd go with LOST style flashbacks. Situations cause Frank to linger on thoughts, moments and situations of him with his wife/kids. That way you could cast the family and get to know them via the flashbacks. That allows you to still empathize with him. You could also use the LOST style flashback for military moments as well. That would give you two backstory elements to build off of in the present situation.
 
That could work too, but personally I think I'd like to see the arc of him as the family man, see their demise and then Frank's descent into becoming a brutal vigilante, but in real time. If they could get Garth Ennis to help adapt it to television (hopefully cable or premium cable) that would be great too. They really should lose the whole Cop by day, vigilante by night theme though.

The thing about the flashbacks is that itll essentially be a fleshed out version of the movies.
 
This needs to be on cable. Network tv means PG-13 rating violence, which is a big FAIL.
 
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