Marvel Reinvents The Punisher
posted Sunday Aug 1, 2010 by Scott Ertz
While Marvel news was all over Comic-Con this week, one of the things that got swept under the rug was the announcement that Marvel Studios has regained rights to the Punisher franchise from Lionsgate. While this might seem like a small victory, let me tell you why it is no small matter.
Marvel has been assembling a Marvel Universe in the film franchises to rival that of the actual comics, but several of their main names are out of their own control, mostly owned by Sony, such as Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and X-Men. The recapturing of the Punisher series brings another of its big-name titles back under its own control.
Hit the break for more on the Punisher story.
One of the downfalls to having these short-lived series like we have seen with the Punisher films of the past is that there is nothing to prevent them from trying too much all at once. With the new-found Marvel Universe, they not have the ability to make the characters bigger than just what a director can create in one or two films. They stand up against a world where Iron-Man, Captain America, Thor and the rest of the Avengers are trying to save the world from everything that befalls it.
So long as Marvel can prevent the film from being the dark and dreary look into Frank Castle's inner turmoil and focus more on his vigilante side, a real Punisher film could be great.
