Collider landed a doozy today while speaking with actor Tom Hardy (Inception, Dark Knight Rises, Legend, Locke, Bronson) for his press tour for Mad Max: Fury Road. Hardy who has been linked to all sorts of superhero projects including Sony’s Sinister Six, Marvel’s Doctor Strange, Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse, and even had to exit Warner Bros’ Suicide Squad because of another project. When asked about other possible superhero projects, Hardy brings up a desire to play Frank Castle aka The Punisher. It didn’t even have to be suggested to him, and I’m all for this.
“I want The Punisher… I want The Punisher, or Splinter Cell, I want something…I don’t know what I want…I’m not big enough to be The Punisher, I’m 5’9” [Laughs]…Frank Castle, I would love it. Is that him, isn’t it?”
Daredevil‘s Steven DeKnight followed up the news that Hardy is keen on the role, by putting his hat in the ring to write and direct Tom as The Punisher, I don’t think it’s hard for fans to get behind that idea.
I’d kill to write & direct The Punisher with Tom Hardy. RT @CarboV: @netflix ToM HARDY JUST (cont) http://t.co/4xFkpZklcs
— Steven DeKnight (@stevendeknight) May 5, 2015
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He does this dark brooding characters better than most and we’ve seen him as the wild man in other films balancing that fine line of hero and villain. Tom has a background playing military characters in Band of Brothers and Black Hawk Down which might be tempting to those who want to see Castle’s military past explored. I mean even if Punisher get’s a Netflix series I don’t think Hardy is above it, as he did a run on Peaky Blinders for UK television, it’s a benefit of being a workaholic actor. The only downside is that it’s looking like he has three more Mad Max films in his future, and we have no idea what Marvel’s concrete plans are for Punisher. After playing a character like Bane in Dark Knight Rises we know Hardy can bulk-up and become the tank Castle needs to be. Mad Max potentially could be one of the biggest films of 2015, and having Tom Hardy on board as the new Punisher, could throw the character back on the big screen in a big bad way. Also, after the reception of Daredevil could have the studio rethinking their policies on PG-13 only theatrical releases. The ball is apparently in Marvel’s court let’s see if they play. Tom always pursues the heavies and Castle would be one of the biggest heavies in the Marvel lineup.
SOURCE: COLLIDER