Thomas Jane Says He Was Miscast as The Punisher and Praises Jon Bernthal’s Portrayal: “I’m happy the part is played by someone who is more right for that role.”
Top 3 line delivery. I’ve seen that show literally a thousand times and that gets me every single time.
MarvelsGrantMan1362025-11-28 21:52
Jane:
>”I was miscast as Frank Castle. He’s an Italian. He’s got black hair and a whole different sort of lineage. He was born in the 70s, as the antithesis of the Italian mob. They had taken over the world briefly, and The Godfather came out of it, too. Frank was the answer to that. Francis Castiglione. I’m not that guy. I had to dye my hair black and become a different guy."
>”I was very passionate about it. I did a short film called Dirty Laundry that I produced and put together. I had a blast, and I’m so grateful to have been inducted into the world. I’m a big comic book fan.”
>”I’m happy the part is played by someone who is more right for that role. I had fun, and I did the best I could with it. I’m very grateful for it, but I’m not that guy."
TomClancy58732025-11-28 22:07
TIL Frank Castle is Italian
Crackerpool2025-11-28 22:18
Castiglione is his real last name in the show I believe
chuk20152025-11-28 22:44
That’s the guy that killed CEO right?
SnooCrickets72212025-11-28 22:57
Funmachine2025-11-28 23:24
It's his dad's real last name in the comics. They changed it to Castle. It's a reference in the show to the source material.
VelocityGrrl392025-11-29 00:51
That was his alias. Pete Castiglione.
nightwing_shadow2025-11-28 22:18
"You're not that guy"
lynxerax2025-11-28 22:34
Has to be a purposeful nod, right? I love it
Heisenburgo2025-11-29 13:07
Thomas Jane to himself: "You're not that guy, pal, trust me, you're NOT that guy."
Random Morgan Freeman narrating out of nowhere: "But he was. He actually was that guy. It was at this moment that Punisher fans knew... he fucked up."
Wamsutta82025-11-28 22:29
I actually saw him, years ago, at Newbury Comics in Boston so he’s not kidding when he says he’s a comic book fan.
Pardybro9112025-11-28 22:35
Jane always came across as a class act. He’s so good in The Expanse.
I might disagree with him, as he fit the time and I still adore his Punisher.
tokes_4_DE2025-11-28 22:52
He's also really good as a washed up private detective in an Australian show called troppo that ive never seen anyone talk about. He basically plays Miller from the expanse if he was a drunk ex cop living in the Australian boonies. Pretty solid show, id recommend it just for him alone honestly.
Pardybro9112025-11-28 23:36
I’ll check it out thanks for the recommend
FinalEnd25522025-11-29 00:53
Troppo is great!
KidsMaker2025-11-29 00:06
Jane was The Expanse at its peak ngl
Azalus12025-11-29 06:20
That first season was more of a mystery box thriller then what the show eventually became. I've read the books and I love the show but the first season was something special the same as the first book.
matthewbattista2025-11-29 16:33
Altered Carbon, Sense8, True Detective, Stranger Things, even GoT are other shows that spring to mind. They’re smaller in scale, character focused with tight plots. As the shows grow, you lose some of that mystique as the season, self-contained aspects shrink.
adjust_the_sails2025-11-29 00:21
Dirty Laundy was way better than the actual movie he was in with Travolta. It’s been a long time since I saw it, but the Travolta one felt like a script they wrote for someone else and stuck The Punisher in it.
johnbrownmarchingon2025-11-29 23:28
I really liked the part of the movie at the apartment, especially when the Russian comes in. But most of the film was garbage.
AdolescentThug2025-11-29 06:09
Thomas Jane is a really cool but kinda weird. I’m from NYC and I caught him at a cafe in Tribeca with my wife. Struck a quick conversation and praised him as Miller in The Expanse. I must reiterate he’s a really cool guy.
But as I left with my wife, I noticed that he was completely barefoot, no shoes to the side, nothing. And I googled him and found out he just has the dogs out at all times. Which is CRAZY to do on NYC streets lol.
Kaldricus2025-11-29 09:15
Ehh, I think two things can be true.
His Punisher movie and his portrayal of Frank Castle were not very good as adaptations.
The movie still kicked ass and he was fantastic as a proto John Wick, if you divorce the movie from the source material and view it as it's own thing.
Like Snyder's Watchmen. Not a great adaptation, but on it's own I think it's a great movie.
Artsoldier2025-11-29 16:14
His portrayal of Miller was dead on to what I had imagined the character to be while reading. The show itself was great and the rest of the cast were wonderful as well, but I was never more locked in than when he was on screen, because I knew I was watching something special in that performance.
Naw, dude needs to know Marvel fans loved his take.
The_Girthy_Meatfist2025-11-28 21:58
It's definitely my favorite non-MCU Marvel property. I loved it. Reminds me that I should re-watch it again.
chris00ws62025-11-28 22:53
Think it just made it to the top of my list for a rewatch after football is over and I’m probably hammered drunk tonight or tomorrow or Sunday ha.
joepanda1112025-11-28 23:31
The dvd directors cut was a grail for me for the longest time because it had always been out of stock then discontinued.
Luckily, after many years, I was able to finally get a copy.
Love Thomas Jane’s Punisher.
miikro2025-11-29 00:05
The movie is kinda garbage but it's very, very enjoyable garbage and Jane is fantastic in it. I also really enjoyed Kevin Nash as The Russian.
rage-quit2025-11-29 02:09
Big Sexy just no selling getting literally stabbed by Jane (by accident) because the fuckin prop guy forgot to switch to the stunt knife.
PAYPAL_ME_DONATIONS2025-11-29 02:15
That was the first movie that got my then-gf/now-wife on board to check out Marvel movies. She was blown away by how much she enjoyed Jane's Punisher. She also hated Travolta at the time was pleasantly surprised by his performance.
CCCPironCurtain2025-11-29 05:40
Harry Heck’s song has been in my playlist for 20 years
DefNotReaves2025-11-28 22:18
I think he knows, he’s just being hard on himself.
During Covid I was taking a walk in the Silverlake hills in LA and ran into him working on his motorcycle in his garage, from a very good distance away I told him I loved him as the punisher and he thanked me! So I’ve done my part in letting him know 😂
mikehulse292025-11-28 22:19
He did really well, but the movie isn’t any great snakes.
slunksoma2025-11-28 22:26
It’s legitimately terrible. Can’t believe some people here liked it.
depotboy2025-11-28 23:55
> Can’t believe some people here liked it.
You sure you know where you posted this?
9CaptainRaymondHolt92025-11-28 22:34
mikehulse292025-11-28 23:36
Based on your captain Holt username, I’m leaving that typo.
Elementium2025-11-28 22:20
Yeah I loved it. It's actually kind of a proto John Wick.. Once the bad guys set him off the rest of the film is Frank surgically fucking their shit up.
IL-Corvo2025-11-28 23:02
His takedown of Howard Saint is pure poetry.
Sere12025-11-28 23:33
Seriously, it's one of my favorite takes on the character and the systematic takedown of Saint's entire organization was glorious. Yeah, the cars exploding to form the Punisher skull was cheesy at the end, but dammit it earned it.
MrMono12025-11-29 00:28
"Made you kill your best friend. Made you kill your wife. And now I've killed you."
DuckyHornet2025-11-28 23:04
You look like you're in good shape.
You ever try isometrics?
Upbeat_Tension_80772025-11-28 23:23
Fuck, he would've been perfect in a John Wick movie, whether he's one of his allies or a badass lead henchman
Equal-Ad-27102025-11-28 22:21
Honestly I prefer it to Bernthal in Born Again
Astrocomet252025-11-28 22:23
I would hope he knows considering how much love he got for the Dirty Laundry short he did and reprised the role before (correct me if im wrong) Jon Bernthal got the role.
Missing_socket2025-11-28 22:30
If people want to see a sequel to his movie, the YouTube video "laundry day" is a great watch.
IL-Corvo2025-11-28 23:01
"Dirty Laundry"
PhotoBonjour_bombs192025-11-28 23:07
Is it good, I don’t see people talking about his punisher like at all
AttilaTheFun8182025-11-28 23:49
I thought it was fine. Best portrayal of the character to that point, and the short he made was a ton of fun.
I have numerous complaints about the movie, but they aren’t about him.
Will-Of-D-3D2Y2025-11-29 00:17
Jane was a great casting in a middling film. The tone is all over the place, borrowing on one side from the seriousness of the 70s comics but also leaning into the cartoony side stuff from Ennis' stories, and plotwise it does some unnecessarily complicated things for a basic revenge plot. The final act where he takes down the organisation is some good action cinema though.
Sorry_Sorry_Im_Sorry2025-11-28 21:56
The short film (Dirty Laundry) that he's also in is great and highly recommend it.
I just recently discovered that sub and now all day long I check to see if the cat I’m holding (I’m a vet tech) looks like Ron Perlman.
Ygomaster072025-11-29 12:10
What is the name of this sub? It sounds hilarious.
VelocityGrrl392025-11-29 13:46
I think it’s r/ronperlmancats
VelocityGrrl392025-11-29 13:47
Nope, that one’s private. It’s r/ctllrp
VelocityGrrl392025-11-29 13:50
There’s also r/adamdrivercats (which are mostly Siamese cats) and r/emmastonecats.
DuckyHornet2025-11-28 23:15
I don't think I've seen that before. It's solid.
Elvarien22025-11-29 00:19
Where he plays imo the best portrayal of the punisher I've ever seen.
friedaplane2025-11-29 03:05
Yep. He's the best Punisher for me, imagine what his version could even be more with more time and even better production
Sparrowsabre72025-11-29 07:42
I don't know about that... seems like he let's someone get raped so he has a "reason" to punish the attacker.
Elvarien22025-11-29 08:38
That's the script. I'm talking about the acting.
Sparrowsabre72025-11-29 08:50
OK, fair enough. Personally I consider "portrayal" to include how the character is written as that also informs the acting choices.
Net_Owl2025-11-29 02:43
He’s also great in Hung
JhnWyclf2025-11-29 06:06
It shows you an R rated Punisher story with him in it is nothing to sneeze at.
DisturbedShifty2025-11-28 21:59
It's weird. It's almost as if he is complaining about being an actor with hair dye comment. 😂
sotommy2025-11-28 22:15
He just says that he wasn't born to play punisher. He put maximum effort into that role, dyeing his hair was probably the easiest thing he had to do for the movie
DisturbedShifty2025-11-28 23:01
Until John Bernthal (sp) he was the best Punisher we had. He did perfectly fine and a vast majority of fans believe that.
NightmareDJK2025-11-28 21:59
Don’t forget he came back for the game that came out on XBOX/PS2/PC at the time and was great in that too.
TonyMontana5462025-11-28 22:09
I mean, yea. That’s what actors are supposed to do. Act like someone else
ShadesOfTheDead2025-11-28 22:15
Wasn’t that like a legit sequel to the film?
mrhelmand2025-11-29 00:45
Sorta? It took a lot from Welcome Back Frank [which the 04 film also borrowed from] but that games version of Jigsaw is revealed to be John Saint, son of the movie's main villain Howard.
MPD19782025-11-28 22:00
It wasn’t a bad movie per se, just a bad PUNISHER movie. No way it shouldn’t have been rated R
CalmGiraffe13732025-11-28 22:05
It was rated R, though.
CaptHayfever2025-11-28 23:52
Two f-bombs is basically an automatic R.
TomCoslo2025-11-28 22:00
I loved Thomas Jane as punisher
DoctorLudnik_7172025-11-28 22:02
Sad he's selling himself short. I love Bernthal as the Punisher, but there's a reason why I'm still reading Frank's comic dialogue in Jane's voice.
mrbaryonyx2025-11-28 23:13
Bernthal's a better actor and brings a level of vulnerability and humanity to the Punisher
BUT, I hear Thomas Jane's voice when I read the comics. If Jane isn't better, he's at least close enough that calling himself "miscast" is super unnecessary.
friedaplane2025-11-29 03:09
I'm on the camp that thinks Bernthal has become an entirely predictable actor who does the same erratic, overwrought style of acting in almost everything. I mean, there's little variation between his performance as Shane in Walking Dead to his Punisher. I think "better actor" is arguable. Increasingly, Bernthal's Punisher has become more and more flanderized over the years, especially in his appearance in Born Again.
theCommTech2025-11-29 05:17
He's pretty different in the accountant movies. The personality isn't the same as what we've seen before.
mrbaryonyx2025-11-29 07:32
I would argue there's more to acting than range but that's just me, Jane doesn't have an abundance of range either IMO
LicketySplit212025-11-29 04:03
His voice in the game is incredible. Like, yeah... [that's Frank Castle right there.](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VsHZL1hohhw)
Helps that one of his most celebrated writers had some input in that game too. So it's probably the peak Punisher adaptation
cardew-vascular2025-11-29 08:16
I really liked Jane as Punisher.
Puppetmaster8582025-11-28 22:06
Respect to him, he’s a very good actor and I think if he starred in better punisher projects he would be remembered very fondly in the role.
bristow842025-11-28 22:08
I thought he did great in both the film and the game. His voice fits the character so well.
Eppyman2025-11-28 22:08
Prefer his take. Punisher is cold, stoic and calculating. Bernthal's take is wolverine with a worse haircut.
Anteater_Able2025-11-29 02:31
This. Might be an unpopular opinion but Bernthal might look the part more than Jane at first glance but his overriding rage-out methodology and mannerisms just don't click for me. Wasn't impressed by him in Daredevil: Born Again and didn't find his interactions with Daredevil to be as fascinating as everyone built them up to be.
zzz0992025-11-29 03:06
He doesn’t even really look like him either though lol. The dude that played him in war zone looks just like him though
Anteater_Able2025-11-29 03:38
I see where you're coming from. I think at first glance he just has the rugged, tough look that Punisher would likely have. Maybe if he had slicked back hair or Frank's headband from the comics it'd be more fitting.
friedaplane2025-11-29 03:14
His portrayal in Born Again was borderline caricature in my opinion. If anyone is familiar with the concept of a character becoming flanderized, Bernthal's Frank fits that bill, and I've become increasingly unimpressed with every appearance of his version. His character in Daredevil S2 2 was fine, him in his Netflix show was middling, then in Born Again he was just not good at all.
sotommy2025-11-28 22:12
Thomas Jane is still the best Punisher. The movie needed a bigger budget and a different setting, but it's still somewhat of a cult movie(plus Travolta is hilarious)
AustinAlexanderK972025-11-28 22:13
Growing up, Thomas Jane was my favorite Punisher. Loved his movie. Still love his movie. I hope he gets his due in time. I'd honestly put him up there with Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker or Wesley Snipe's Blade
friedaplane2025-11-29 03:10
Jane's Frank is still the truest and closest to comic Frank Castle's essence to this day IMO.
Forsaken-Dog49022025-11-28 22:15
I don't know anything about the Punisher beyond the show and movies and I fucking loved the first Punisher movie. His fight scene with Big Sexy Kevin Nash was a work of art.
drinoaki2025-11-28 22:18
Thomas, you were great.
RyantheAustralian2025-11-28 22:18
He was really good as Punisher, but what a refreshingly magnanimous attitude to have. I could see why he could be a bit bitter at any criticism of his role over the years, but he seems to have taken a really mature attitude towards it
TheOneWhosCensored2025-11-28 22:20
Thomas Jane is the best Punisher casting we’ve have, and one of the best comic castings ever.
Katharinemaddison2025-11-28 22:22
This is very gracious.
I love Bernthal’s Punisher though maybe it’s out of step with the comics - I love the moments of vulnerability (but what happened to the dog Frank? John Wick would cut you if you met in public) the swings from coldness, dysfunction, and warmth. Netflix’s punisher couldn’t have a one night stand without taking her kid out for breakfast and has an amazing ‘it would never work but we’ll always have that wistfulness’ connection with Karen. I doubt that’s the comics.
toastyavocado2025-11-28 22:23
I'm a Ray Stevenson guy myself but Jane is still so good.[oh and this](https://youtu.be/tsDEiCdFKcU) i just wanted an excuse to throw in a video I watched in highschool
TheMoorNextDoor2025-11-28 22:31
What is he talking about? He’s a fantastic punisher…
Upbeat_Tension_80772025-11-28 22:33
I love Jon as The Punisher, but imo Jane still did pretty well in capturing the "tortured soul" demeanor of the character
borntolose12025-11-28 22:34
He most definitely was not miscast.
Just the movie wasn’t very good, but he would’ve been a great Punisher
unsupported2025-11-28 22:45
I mean, he's no Dolph Lundgren.
kh7302025-11-28 22:52
At a time when there was no MCU and random movies were being pumped out to varying degrees of quality, his was like top tier. At least I always thought. Idk anyone who dislikes his Punisher. No shade to Bernthal, he's equally as good.
RellenD2025-11-28 22:56
I really preferred his punisher
graveybrains2025-11-28 23:06
Lundgren was the dark one, Jane was the campy one, and Bernthal is the gritty realistic one. So far they've all been perfect except for Ray Stevenson, and even he was pretty fucking good.
nice_one_champ2025-11-29 01:43
I have to disagree - Stevenson was straight from the comic pages and larger than life, and was the most intimidating. Was pleasantly surprised at the level of gunplay as well, he definitely trained for the part.
ifockpotatoes2025-11-28 23:08
I don't think there's actually been a bad live action Punisher tbh. I was a big fan of Ray Stevenson's too.
CaptHayfever2025-11-28 23:53
The '89 movie is **ROUGH.**
MickCollins2025-11-28 23:09
I love that Jane is trying to throw light towards Bernthal's performance but I still think he was the better Punisher than Bernthal. Yes Bernthal's played the role a lot more at this point but Jane...when you read about how the man was on a liquid diet for like 18 months WAITING for his callback for Punisher 2 you know the man is like "I love this fucking role".
Then it went to Ray Stevenson and should have been called "Tuesday Night with the Punisher and a late Blockbuster Rental". I hate talking ill about the dead but Jesus...Stevenson was really miscast.
DuckyHornet2025-11-28 23:17
I used to get
*upset*
when the Yankees won the series. So if that's what upset means, what am I feeling now? If you know the word, tell me. Because I don't.
Present_Quantity_4002025-11-28 23:20
Nah man, you were perfect for that role. Jon Bernthal is a right wing Zionist fascist that signs bombs to be dropped on Children's hospitals.
friedaplane2025-11-29 03:16
Jon is also a massive cop bootlicker who thinks that it's great cops are sporting the Punisher skull logo which just shows how he understands nothing about the character.
hunterzolomon19932025-11-28 23:28
Disagree i thought he was excellent as Frank its just he was stuck with an awful film. At least the Dirty Laundry short film exists that gives us a taste of what could have been.
Also Thomas Jane should have been a way bigger star as he was the full package and more.
Sere12025-11-28 23:36
Fun fact, Jane's Punisher *technically* is in the same universe as Toby's Spider-Man. That Punisher film was being made at the same time as Spider-Man 2 and they snuck a little cameo in SM2 as a nod. While it isn't Thomas Jane himself as he was busy on the day, his stunt double appears in the sequence where Mary Jane is running across the park in her wedding dress at the end. He has this glance back at her as she runs past. It's Jane's double in the Punisher outfit (minus the skull). It's meant to be the same Frank Castle who had his own movie that year, linking that film to the Raimi Spidey film universe.
OmegaMaze2025-11-28 23:38
They should've asked him why he talked through all of Walking Dead
revolutionaryartist42025-11-28 23:39
Jane was perfect for the role, he just needed a better script.
Dealiner2025-11-28 23:43
Well, it's a rather weird reason imo and very American. He was a good Punisher and that's the most important, really.
ElDuderino21122025-11-29 00:16
Bless him but I disagree. Bernthal is fantastic, but I still fucking *love* Jane's Punisher movie. Especially the extended cut.
For a long time it was actually my favourite comic book movie.
invaderdavos2025-11-29 00:28
I loved thomas janes punisher movie
The_Beardly2025-11-29 00:57
Jane is out here saying he was miscast an all of the MCUverse fans reassuring him that we loved him in that role.
Jane’s portray is why I became a fan of the punisher
ThePopeofHell2025-11-29 01:14
“Stop asking me about this, I don’t care” -Thomas Jane
sabrenation812025-11-29 01:24
As a huge Punisher nerd, Jane should give himself more credit. He was a fine Punisher and I'd have had no qualms with him continuing that role in the MCU.
That said, Bernthal was born to play Frank Castle. I legitimately can't think of anyone past or present more perfect for the role. Just the right mix of charismatic and threatening with a splash of unhinged that exemplifies The Punisher.
bondinferno2025-11-29 01:34
He just wants his kids back
BurnoutInc2025-11-29 01:40
I’m glad he love’s Jon’s take of the Punisher but he was phenomenal as Frank Castle. Once they let him cut loose, his action scenes ruled. His voice role as the Punisher in the 2005 video game is one of the best. I wish that game had a sequel or two with him still playing Frank.
pepperbet12025-11-29 01:45
This is very funny because around the time he made that Punisher short film, the fans were lobbying Marvel Studios to embrace Thomas Jane as the MCU Punisher. They argued he was 'passionate' for the role and whatnot. Now years later he says this.
tincancan152025-11-29 02:04
Like most people here, I also grew up with and loved Thomas Jane's take on The Punisher. I really loved his quiet, somber and deeply angry yet calculating Punisher. Every now and then I watch the movie and still enjoy it. Quotes about the meaning of being "upset" and when he says he killed "both of" Howard Saint's sons give me chills every time.
TelenorTheGNP2025-11-29 03:16
I dont think he was miscast. If anything, I would say Jane's Punisher was underwritten.
Commentaires
>”I was miscast as Frank Castle. He’s an Italian. He’s got black hair and a whole different sort of lineage. He was born in the 70s, as the antithesis of the Italian mob. They had taken over the world briefly, and The Godfather came out of it, too. Frank was the answer to that. Francis Castiglione. I’m not that guy. I had to dye my hair black and become a different guy."
>”I was very passionate about it. I did a short film called Dirty Laundry that I produced and put together. I had a blast, and I’m so grateful to have been inducted into the world. I’m a big comic book fan.”
>”I’m happy the part is played by someone who is more right for that role. I had fun, and I did the best I could with it. I’m very grateful for it, but I’m not that guy."
Random Morgan Freeman narrating out of nowhere: "But he was. He actually was that guy. It was at this moment that Punisher fans knew... he fucked up."
I might disagree with him, as he fit the time and I still adore his Punisher.
But as I left with my wife, I noticed that he was completely barefoot, no shoes to the side, nothing. And I googled him and found out he just has the dogs out at all times. Which is CRAZY to do on NYC streets lol.
His Punisher movie and his portrayal of Frank Castle were not very good as adaptations.
The movie still kicked ass and he was fantastic as a proto John Wick, if you divorce the movie from the source material and view it as it's own thing.
Like Snyder's Watchmen. Not a great adaptation, but on it's own I think it's a great movie.
Luckily, after many years, I was able to finally get a copy.
Love Thomas Jane’s Punisher.
During Covid I was taking a walk in the Silverlake hills in LA and ran into him working on his motorcycle in his garage, from a very good distance away I told him I loved him as the punisher and he thanked me! So I’ve done my part in letting him know 😂
You sure you know where you posted this?
You ever try isometrics?
I have numerous complaints about the movie, but they aren’t about him.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWpK0wsnitc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWpK0wsnitc)
BUT, I hear Thomas Jane's voice when I read the comics. If Jane isn't better, he's at least close enough that calling himself "miscast" is super unnecessary.
Helps that one of his most celebrated writers had some input in that game too. So it's probably the peak Punisher adaptation
I love Bernthal’s Punisher though maybe it’s out of step with the comics - I love the moments of vulnerability (but what happened to the dog Frank? John Wick would cut you if you met in public) the swings from coldness, dysfunction, and warmth. Netflix’s punisher couldn’t have a one night stand without taking her kid out for breakfast and has an amazing ‘it would never work but we’ll always have that wistfulness’ connection with Karen. I doubt that’s the comics.
Just the movie wasn’t very good, but he would’ve been a great Punisher
Then it went to Ray Stevenson and should have been called "Tuesday Night with the Punisher and a late Blockbuster Rental". I hate talking ill about the dead but Jesus...Stevenson was really miscast.
*upset*
when the Yankees won the series. So if that's what upset means, what am I feeling now? If you know the word, tell me. Because I don't.
Also Thomas Jane should have been a way bigger star as he was the full package and more.
For a long time it was actually my favourite comic book movie.
Jane’s portray is why I became a fan of the punisher
That said, Bernthal was born to play Frank Castle. I legitimately can't think of anyone past or present more perfect for the role. Just the right mix of charismatic and threatening with a splash of unhinged that exemplifies The Punisher.