Norman Reedus As The Punisher: A Surprising Marvel Performance

I just found out that Norman Reedus voiced The Punisher for Marvel in Iron Man: Rise of Technovore, and now I want to see him as the character in live action. Despite being one of the most straightforward “heroes” in the Marvel universe, all three of the Punisher movies failed to launch a franchise.

I have a soft spot for Dolph Lundgren’s bullet-riddled 1989 adaptation, but it had little respect for the source material. Tom Jane’s Punisher was the biggest hit but failed to earn a sequel, while Punisher: War Zone saw the late, great Ray Stevenson front a gory and darkly comic take on Marvel’s antihero.

Jon Bernthal debuted as Castle in Daredevil season 2, and has played the role in various projects for nearly ten years; Bernthal’s Punisher will also appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. I only recently learned that Bernthal’s Walking Dead co-star Norman Reedus voiced The Punisher in Iron Man: Rise of Technovore, an anime spinoff from 2013.

Norman Reedus Voiced The Punisher For 2013’s Iron Man: Rise of Technovore

I wouldn’t say I was a Punisher scholar, but I’ve read a lot of the comics (including Garth Ennis’ classic MAX run), played the PS2 game, and seen the films. I was a Reedus fan even before his Daryl Dixons days, so I was almost impressed his appearance as the Punisher flew totally beneath my radar.

In truth, the Punisher doesn’t get much to do in Rise of Technovore. As the title suggests, this anime Iron Man adaptation outing follows Tony Stark as he chases down Ezekiel Stane, the son of Tony’s old mentor turned foe, Obadiah. Around the midway point, Tony seeks out an arms dealer in Karachi.

The Punisher rudely interrupts this deal by gunning everybody down, though Iron Man steps in to save the dealer he was chasing. Long story short, Castle and Stark briefly team up to help one another, leading to a cool car chase where Hawkeye and Black Widow run them down.

In all, Reedus’ Punisher is only part of the anime for ten minutes. He probably could have been written out entirely, but he gives it a much-needed injection of cool. Despite the various action roles he’s undertaken, I’d never pictured Reedus as Castle before, but I thought he did a great job with it.

Norman Reedus’ Punisher Is The Highlight Of The Mediocre Iron Man: Rise of Technovore

I’d suggest one reason Iron Man: Rise of Technovore slipped past me is that it’s just not that good. There are some interesting concepts and a couple of solid action beats, but it needlessly overloads on Marvel characters and is quite forgettable. The Punisher’s appearance almost hurts the story, too.

Reedus brings both a dry sense of humor and low-key menace to Castle and it’s fun to see the non-superpowered former soldier hold his own against the likes of Black Widow. When he exits the story shortly after, Rise of Technovore misses his energy. It makes sense that he’d head off early since he’s the ultimate lone wolf, but still.

This version of Castle would return in 2014’s Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher, but the English dub would be voiced by Brian Bloom (Kane & Lynch) instead. Iron Man: Rise of Technovore was Reedus’ one-and-done appearance as The Punisher, which is a real shame.

I’d Love To See A Norman Reedus Punisher Movie, But It’ll Never Happen

Of course, Reedus is no stranger to playing vigilantes clad in black, thanks to The Boondock Saints duology. His time with The Walking Dead universe has largely kept Reedus away from movies though, with most of his appearances being supporting parts in the likes of Triple 9 or From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.

His voice work in Iron Man: Rise of Technovore would get me interested in an older Punisher movie fronted by Reedus, and he’s certainly got the action chops to pull it off. Again, he’s not the obvious choice for the part, but to me, that’s exactly what makes him interesting.

That said, the odds of Reedus playing Frank Castle/The Punisher in live action are bleak. Bernthal is absolutely killing it as the character, even though he was grossly underused in Daredevil: Born Again. He loves playing the part too, so he won’t be exiting as Castle anytime soon.

I also can’t see Marvel wanting to commit to a new, R-rated Punisher film fronted by a new actor. The character has had three shots at movie stardom, but never fully got there. Reedus isn’t exactly hurting for work either, and is still attached to the long, long, LONG delayed The Boondock Saints III.

There were loose plans for Reedus’ Ballerina character Daniel Pine to have a bigger role in a potential sequel, which, given the spinoff’s underperformance, probably won’t happen. Still, the star is good pals with Keanu Reeves, so there’s a faint chance Reedus could get an invitation to the upcoming John Wick 5.

Unless somebody is counting his role as Scud in Blade II as canon, Reedus has yet to score a role in the MCU. An appearance as The Punisher would be nice, but again, unlikely. Reedus would be even more perfect for Ghost Rider, a character who is rumored to debut in Avengers: Doomsday.

• 

  NAME

  Anthony Edward “Tony” Stark

  Alias

  Iron Man

  FIRST APP

  “Tales of Suspense” #39 (1963)

  Created By

  Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber

  POWERS

  Genius intellect, armor providing flight, hacking, superhuman strength, reflexes, and durability.

  TEAM

  The Avengers

  Anthony “Tony” Edward Stark, AKA Iron Man, is a Marvel Comics superhero who has enjoyed several years of the spotlight and has become a mainstay in several Marvel media franchises. After suffering a critical injury, Tony creates a specialized armored suit powered by an arc reactor, which keeps him alive. Egotistical but good-hearted, Tony utilizes his super intellect and inventions to fight to protect humanity from various threats, eventually becoming a founding member of the Avengers. In 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was kicked off with the film Iron Man, which starred Robert Downey Jr. as the superhero.