Comic book writer Gerry Conway, co-creator of the Punisher, seems to have no interest in watching the vigilante's big-screen adventures.

In an appearance on the Endless Thread podcast transcribed by 99% Invisible, host Ben Brock Johnson spoke with Conway about the character's enduring popularity and various film appearances. Johnson described some of Punisher's films as being "so, so bad," saying, "Gerry refuses to see these movies. But all in all, while it was hard watching his bloodthirsty baby grow up, he was proud of him. Didn’t feel too attached."

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Conway himself elaborated. "And it's actually part of the value of the comics is that you can reinterpret these characters as long as you maintain some truth to the original archetype that they represent," he said. "You can reinterpret them for the time in which you're creating."

Alongside John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru, Conway created Frank Castle/the Punisher as a hired gun used by the Jackal in Amazing Spider-Man #129. Conway based Frank on the lead character in The Executioner book series and came up with the idea for the character's skull emblem, which would later be turned into a full-fledged costume by Romita and drawn by Andru for the Punisher's first appearance. The Punisher's complex backstory as a military veteran-turned-vigilante compelled fans and eventually earned him a miniseries, which Marvel then followed with an ongoing title that ran for over 100 issues.

In 1989, Marvel partnered with Carolco Pictures and New World Pictures to create a live-action film adaption of The Punisher with Dolph Lundgren in the title role. The movie was planned to be Marvel's second theatrically-released production but was limited to a straight-to-VHS release when New World Pictures experienced financial troubles. Furthermore, the film received a mixed response from fans, who were disappointed by its lack of comic book accuracy.

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In 2004, Thomas Jane donned Frank's skull t-shirt for The Punisher, which stuck closer to the source material and loosely adapted the storyline "Welcome Back, Frank." Still, the film was only a mild success. Then, in 2008, Ray Stevenson portrayed Frank in Punisher: War Zone. Unfortunately, critics panned the film, and audiences ignored it, earning it a place in history as the lowest-earning movie Marvel has ever released to a worldwide audience.

While Conway isn't interested in the big-screen exploits of his signature creation, he is a fan of the character's presence on television. Beginning with the second season of Daredevil, Jon Bernthal portrayed Frank across Netflix's interconnected superhero universe. In 2017, Conway described what distinguishes Bernthal's portrayal of Frank, saying, "Jon Bernthal gives the Punisher the kind of pathos that's underneath the tough guy... and I really like that.

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Source: Endless Thread, via 99% Invisible