Ray Stevenson’s Punisher may have been a flop, but was easily the most comic-accurate

Sorry Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane, and Jon Bernthal, when it comes to the Punisher; we only have eyes for Ray Stevenson. The Thor, Rome and RRR star tragically died yesterday at the age of just 58 from an unknown condition. Since then, tributes have flooded in from across the entertainment world, and fans have celebrated some of his greatest roles.

Producer Gale Anne Hurd posted her own, with the pair having worked together on 2008’s Punisher: War Zone:

So, perhaps it’s finally time for a proper critical rehabilitation of Punisher: War Zone. Director Lexi Alexander reviewed years of comics before making the movie to nail the tone, paying particular attention to Garth Ennis’ ultra violent Punisher MAX run.

The result was a blood-soaked killing spree in which Frank racks up a ludicrous amount of bodies, a truly bizarre villain in Dominic West’s scenery-chewing Jigsaw, and some brilliant gags (naturally, rocket launcher vs parkour comes to mind first). Alexander nailed the over-the-top tone and sense of carnage, making it feel like an Ennis comic come to life.

All that’s anchored by Stevenson’s Frank Castle; a grim, foreboding, and scarily determined figure who could have walked right off the pages of a Garth Ennis comic. Sadly, none of this was enough to prevent it from being a colossal flop: critics hated it, it got 29 percent on the Tomatometer, and made just $10 million at the box office.

In recent years, there’s been a quiet shift in opinion about this supremely underrated movie. Here’s hoping Stevenson’s passing gives more people the motivation to check out one of his best roles, and realize in delight that Punisher: War Zone is actually pretty damn amazing.