Thomas Jane out of Punisher 2

[Jakew]

Thomas Jane Leaves Punisher 2
By Josh Tyler: 2007-05-16 11:49:40 


"Even though no one watched the first one and nearly everyone who did hates it, Marvel is dead set on making a Punisher sequel. Whether they'll try to do what they did with Hulk and reboot it or just go for a straight sequel we don't know. What we do know is that whatever they do they'll do it without Thomas Jane.

It's not because they don't want him. Jane simply thinks the movie sucks. He sent a letter over to the guys at AICN in which he says: "What I won't do is spend months of my life sweating over a movie that I just don't believe in."

You've got to respect that. It's not like Thomas Jane is Tom Cruise and has tons of high profile roles like this offered to him every week. Turning down something like this can't be easy for an actor like Thomas Jane. But he doesn't believe in the movie (it sounds like he still loves the character though) and so he's out. Well done Jane, well done.

It's a real mystery why Marvel wants to make this movie anyway. The first one was even worse than the old Dolph Lundgren version. It wasn't Jane's fault exactly, but everything else about it was just awful. It's one of the worst superhero movies ever made. It's not like Hulk which wasn't as good as some had hoped and made a lot of money just not quite as much as it might have. Punisher was a complete and total, stinking disaster. There's nothing to be gained from forcing it on us again. Hopefully Jane's departure will be a bullet in Punisher 2's head."

[Carravaggio]

I sure hope so, i like Jane as an actor, and i like his punisher, but that was all i liked about the movie. Their big mistake was doing 616 punisher and not the traditional Punisher. Taking him out of Nam was the first clue to me that something was terribly wrong with the movie.

[captainspud]

I don't get why everybody hates the Punisher movie so much. Sure, it wasn't anything terribly special, but it wasn't any worse than any other generic action flick.

*shrugs*

[lugaru]

I agree with the spudster... the pusnisher is by no means on a list of recomended viewing that I would put together but as far as action movies go it was not bad. At moments it was kind of like the silly "MK" punisher issues and around the end much butt is kicked in a poetically violent manner.

For a director I would love to see Tony Scott, the man who out punished the punisher with his film Man on Fire. Heck, I wouldent even mind seeing him team up with Denzel Washington again but that would be too much of a departure. I agree that Thomas Jane was great in the movie, but finding a replacement shouldent be too hard if they aim low and make this punisher movie a straight out violent B flick. Or if they still want to go high budget... what is Robert Rodriguez doing right now? Desperado was another great "punisher movie" where the hero has both a thirst for revenge and a death wish.

[BentonGrey]

I actually liked the Punisher pretty well, yeah, it had a lot of flaws (most of those split between John Travolta and the location) but it still had some pretty awesome moments.  Jane made a GREAT Frank Castle, and both of the assasins were freakin' awesome.  I still freakin' love Harry Heck...I mean, he's pracitcally a gun-totting Johnny Cash, and what's not awesome about that?

[Pyroclasm]

I liked the Punisher movie.  I didn't love it, but I bought it AFTER seeing it, which I can't say about Daredevil or Fantastic Four.  I also didn't like Travolta and was disappointed with the Florida location.  But it wasn't enough to ruin the "action-flick".  One of the pieces missing was the tie-in to his military past, which I understand they put back into the "uncut" version of the movie.  I'm just a little leery about Marvel thinking that they themselves can produce movies.  I guess Mr. Jane is too.

[BentonGrey]

I have to say that, if the sequel is so bad that he walks after just reading the script....I'm worried.  I also am leary of seeing a Punisher movie sans Jane...he really was right for the part.

[Jakew]

Punisher 1 was pretty all round bad. They deleted a lot of the elements I thought were cool from the comic and included some pretty random stuff, like Harry Heck. Plus the comic and serious elements weren't well integrated. Thomas Jane was serviceable as Frank.

In fact, I only enjoyed two things in the film: Punisher fighting The Russian (why they didn't stick with his original death, I don't know), and Punisher's final rampage.

Punisher 2 would have been interesting because they were supposed to incorporate stuff from Punisher MAX ... I doubt it would have been any good though.

[lugaru]

I would love the movie to either start or end in Jail, prison has been a constant in the punisher's comics since he got his own series. Like how about in the first 15 minutes he starts a riot, takes out some big mobster and escapes... that would be a rocking way to start.

Cat: true, but I didint want to touch that to not sound pesimistic. This script must really stink, because most actors are great at convincing themselves that terrible scripts are great (Berry in catwoman anyone? She sounded Extatic about the role).

[Pyroclasm]

They deleted a lot of the elements I thought were cool from the comic and included some pretty random stuff, like Harry Heck.

Harry Heck was derived from the same Ennis story that the Russian and the apartment folks were from.  It contained many elements from that book.

[GogglesPizanno]

I'm saddened.
While the first one is definitely on the weak side, I can watch it for Jane...

And he indicated in interviews when they were first talking about the sequel, that he really wanted to do it, but do it right. Make it darker, move it to New York etc... He really sounded like he wanted to make up for the shortfalls of the first one and bring it back around to a more authentic comic book basis. That was my one hold out that maybe the second one would be better...

If hes bailing it makes me fear for what they are doing with it.

I'm sure Dolph is free....

[Jakew]

"They deleted a lot of the elements I thought were cool from the comic and included some pretty random stuff, like Harry Heck."
"Harry Heck was derived from the same Ennis story that the Russian and the apartment folks were from.  It contained many elements from that book."

Yeah, I know. He was a tiny, tiny three-panel character in the comic, that got hugely expanded on for the film for some weird reason. My point is, if you were going to use characters from Welcome Back Frank, you've got Ma Gnucci, Soap, etc ... Harry Heck was essentially just a name thrown out there as one of three assassins the Punisher easily kills. Odd inclusion, I thought.

[the_ultimate_evil]

I don't get why everybody hates the Punisher movie so much. Sure, it wasn't anything terribly special, but it wasn't any worse than any other generic action flick.

*shrugs*

110% agree i actully enjoy it and watch it when i just want to relax and enjoy something that doesnt take much thought

but in todays mondern cinema audiance with everyone believeing there own self importance unless its a large epic or have some kind of hidden socitey based message its mocked

there no place in this world for the old style popcorn flick, which is truely sad

[General Jerky]

I don't get why everybody hates the Punisher movie so much. Sure, it wasn't anything terribly special, but it wasn't any worse than any other generic action flick.

*shrugs*

110% agree i actully enjoy it and watch it when i just want to relax and enjoy something that doesnt take much thought

but in todays mondern cinema audiance with everyone believeing there own self importance unless its a large epic or have some kind of hidden socitey based message its mocked

there no place in this world for the old style popcorn flick, which is truely sad

As the huge Punisher fan I am(Bought Civil War just for Franky) I loved both movies.(Dolph and Jane versions) And I think Jane leaving is sad.