'Punisher': Through the years

The New World of movies

The Crime: In 1986, New World Pictures bought Marvel and decided the Punisher would kick off the company’s extensive comic book movie plans. Dolph Lundgren was cast as the Punisher with Oscar-winner Louis Gossett Jr. playing Frank Castle’s former partner. The production employed karate experts who used un-choreographed fighting techniques to give the film an extra layer of realism.

The Punishment: Watching the movie itself, which was made very cheaply and deviated significantly from the comic. Lundgren’s version of the Punisher rode a chopper through the city sewers, dispatching villains with throwing knives and machine guns. Producers also dropped the iconic skull emblem on the character’s chest, and the film ended up going straight to video in 1989, arriving after New World had sold Marvel.