Ray Stevenson Was Disappointed He Wasn't Called Back For The Punisher
Ray Stevenson, the actor known for his roles in "Thor" and "RRR," among many, many other movies and TV shows over the years, has passed away at the age of 58. It's a remarkably unexpected, terrible bit of news, as Stevenson was truly one of those actors that added a whole lot to just about anything he was in. Case in point, he made the most of his chance to bring Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, to life in 2008's "Punisher: War Zone." Stevenson, it turns out, was bummed he never got the call to reprise the role.
Stevenson took over for Thomas Jane, who played the role of the Marvel Comics antihero in 2004's "The Punisher." Lionsgate changed things up for the sequel, though, with a new lead actor and a much more brutal take on the source material, as seen through the lens of director Lexi Alexander. The resulting film was not a hit in its day, but has since become a cult favorite of sorts. Unfortunately, Stevenson's turn was a one-and-done.
Speaking to The Action Elite in 2014, the actor was complimented on his portrayal of Frank Castle, and the interviewer commented that they were disappointed he never got to play the part again. Several years removed, and at a time when the Marvel Cinematic Universe was firing on all cylinders, Stevenson seemed more than ready to suit back up and dish out some justice:
"So was I! Write in and tell them that! I would in a heartbeat go back! I loved the storyline and the comic books that it was based on. It could definitely do with a sequel."
The right movie at the wrong time
2008 was a fascinating time for superhero movies. Hollywood knew they were more than just a fad, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe had yet to fully take shape. "Iron Man" came out that same year, which kicked off the MCU, as did "The Dark Knight," widely considered to be one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. It was a turning point, and "Punisher: War Zone" was sort of trapped in the past at a time when the future was being built. It dramatically underperformed at the box office ($10 million against a $35 million budget), making a sequel all but impossible.
Still, the movie has since found its audience, and it stands apart as an interesting experiment in terms of what can be done in the Marvel universe when one is not anchored to major continuity. Ultimately, Jon Bernthal would succeed Stevenson as Frank Castle, appearing in "Daredevil" season 2 on Netflix before starring in his own "The Punisher" series beginning in 2017. The show only lasted two seasons, but Bernthal is returning in "Daredevil: Born Again."
Stevenson, though, always seemed to think there was more to explore with what they had set up in "War Zone." Speaking at the time of the movie's DVD release with Collider, the actor had this to say about a potential sequel:
"I think there's a huge potential because he doesn't shy away from these real moral issues. He's not judge, jury, and executioner, he's just executioner. I think there are a tremendous amount of places that Frank can go and we can raise these issues up and play them out on the screen. I think there's a major potential future for Frank. There's a future definitely for that skull."
There is and was a future for that character, but unfortunately, the fates dictated that Stevenson wasn't a part of that future.