Thomas Jane Says He Was Not “Right” for ‘The Punisher’ Role but MCU’s Jon Bernthal is Perfect

While Jane’s movie does have something of a cult classic feel to it, the actor believes that the right man is now in the role and doesn’t seem to have any desire to revisit Frank Castle again. He said:

“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’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.”

‘The Punisher’ Recently Blasted Back on Free Streaming

Despite drawing divisive reviews when it was released over 20 years ago, The Punisher is one of those movies that really hits the spot when it turns up on free streaming platforms. Recently, the film enjoyed several days as the most watched movie on Tubi after being added back to the streamer’s library.

Meanwhile, Jon Bernthal, the “right” guy to play Frank Castle according to Jane, has recently returned to his role in the MCU’s Daredevil: Born Again, and although he will not appear in the second season of the show, he will show up in the summer’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day and his own Marvel Spotlight Special Presentation on Disney+ sometime next year.

Fans have been incredibly happy to see The Punisher back on screens, and he has lost none of his brutal methods of taking down bad guys during the switch from Netflix to Disney+. Now, fans are eagerly awaiting the next chapter for one of the franchise’s most compelling and tormented characters, and are still trying to work out exactly how he will fit into the PG-13 world of Spider-Man next summer.

Marvel’s Netflix Punisher series is available with the rest of the MCU library on Disney+, while Jane’s The Punisher is still available to stream on Tubi. Jane’s latest role is in the new western Frontier Crucible, which is released on December 5, 2025, and he will also be releasing a new werewolf graphic novel, “The Lycan.”