While writer Adam G. Simon is about to try his hand at a bloody and brutal remake of 2011's The Raid, it turns out he also pitched his own Punisher movie that would've seen Frank Castle go against Nick Fury and featured music from Eminem.
Before Bernthal was wearing the iconic skull motif for Netflix, Simon told ComicBook.com he had an out-there pitch to bring Castle firmly into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The writer said his Punisher would "find Frank Castle as we left him at the end of the series, only now completely aware of the threat superheroes and villains pose to mankind." He continued, "So, Frank has to go gunning for the person who he feels is responsible for the innumerable civilian casualties, the one who started it all by organizing these weapons of mass destruction to come together. Nick Fury. The twist is that Frank is being used, he spots the double-cross early at the end of act one. From that point on, we have a 3:10 to Yuma situation. Frank and Fury on the run from everyone, heroes and villains. It’s 3:10 to Yuma meets Leon by way of The Winter Soldier."
Explaining how Eminem fit into the piece, Simon added, "Since he was so pissed about it getting canceled, you get Eminem on board for the music and the soundtrack." Ironically, Eminem was one of the most vocal when it came to the streaming service's cancelation of the series after just two seasons.
Simon's dream cast included Bernthal as Castle, alongside stars like Joel Edgerton (Bullseye), Kristin Scott Thomas or Edie Falco (Ma Gnucci), Jeffry Wright or Russell Crowe (Micro) and Jackson once again reprising his role as Fury. Added to the mix, Simon imagined Avengers like Falcon, Black Widow and the Winter Soldier, while Point Blank's Joe Lynch would handle this R-rated endeavor.
Castle has been a mainstay of Marvel comics since his introduction in 1974's The Amazing Spider-Man #129 and has three movies under his belt, with Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane and Ray Stevenson all playing the character. However, with the MCU tending to lean toward family-friendly movies with mass appeal, the character has been confined to Netflix's short-lived series, with Bernthal in the title role.
Ultimately, Simon's vision never came to pass, and The Punisher joined part of Netflix's MCU offshoot. As it stands, it's unclear where the character goes next and whether Bernthal could return. After all, Bernthal explained he wasn't done playing Castle, but the decision is out of his hands.