Actor behind 2004's The Punisher flop says he was "miscast" as Frank Castle: "I'm not that guy"

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Actor behind 2004's The Punisher flop says he was "miscast" as Frank Castle: "I'm not that guy" News By Bradley Russell published 1 December 2025

Thomas Jane admits he wasn't the right choice to play Frank Castle

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(Image credit: Lionsgate/Marvel Entertainment)

Thomas Jane, the actor who played the gun-toting Frank Castle in 2004's The Punisher says he wasn't the right person to play the Marvel vigilante.

"I was miscast as Frank Castle," Jane told ComicBookMovie.com's Josh Wilding. "Frank Castle is an Italian, he's got black hair, he's got a whole different sort of lineage that was born out of [being] the antithesis of the mob in the '70s."

Jane admitted, "I'm not that guy. I had to dye my hair black. I had to become a different guy. I'm happy the part is played by somebody who is more right for that role. I had fun, I did the best I could with it, and I'm very grateful for it, but I'm not that guy."

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Jane portrayed Castle opposite John Travolta's crime boss Howard Saint in The Punisher, which only grossed $54 million at the box office and sits at only 30% on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The actor also reprised his role in the forgotten 2005 PS2 shooter The Punisher.

The Punisher is often regarded as a cinematic low point in a crowd of middling pre-MCU comic book movies. A second film, Punisher: War Zone, was released in 2008, but without the involvement of Jane. Instead, Ray Stevenson played Frank Castle.

Now, Jon Bernthal has made the role his own, first appearing in Daredevil season 2 before getting his own Netflix spin-off show.

The Punisher has since been folded into the MCU, showing up in Daredevil: Born Again. He's also in his own upcoming Disney Plus special and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but won't appear in Daredevil: Born Again season 2.

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Bradley RussellSocial Links Navigation

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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