Premiering at this years comic-con, the pretty intense short film Dirty Laundry, directed by Phil Tranou and written by Chad St. John, puts actor Thomas Jane back in the role of Frank Castle, The Punisher, for the first time since 2004. Granted, the movie and it's sequel, which replaced Jane with Ray Stevenson in the lead, were nothing to write home about, but this is a very well put together piece, and if it goes down well with fans, it might pique the interest of Marvel Studios, who now hold the rights to the character.
Speaking about the short, Jane had this to say:
- "I wanted to make a fan film for a character I've always loved and believed in - a love letter to Frank Castle & his fans. It was an incredible experience with everyone on the project throwing in their time just for the fun of it. It's been a blast to be a part of from start to finish -- we hope the friends of Frank enjoy watching it as much as we did making it."
The Punisher is a fantastic character, which has unfortunately never translated well to the big screen. But this short goes a long way to getting at what makes Frank Castle work. Fingers crossed this leads to something more.