If you missed out on a cameo from The Punisher in Deadpool & Wolverine, you can always console yourself with the best Punisher movie ever made.
While there are a ton of crazy cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine, there’s no appearance by any version of The Punisher, despite the character being mentioned several times. He’s notable for his absence, especially considering he’s one of the few Marvel characters with multiple live-action movies to his name.
Those movies often teased sequels, but no official one was ever produced. However, an unofficial sequel did hit YouTube, and it has a way bigger impact on the character’s modern depictions than you may think.
2012’s The Punisher: Dirty Laundry came out at a weird point in time, but this short movie is regarded as one of the best depictions of The Punisher on film.
It’s the first installment of the Bootleg Universe, a multimedia project headed up by producer Adi Shankar, best known for producing Netflix’s Castlevania and the upcoming Devil May Cry anime.
Shankar’s Bootleg Universe became notorious over the years thanks to projects like the controversial Power/Rangers in 2015, but it all started with The Punisher: Dirty Laundry. And it’s a hell of a project to start with, considering it has a surprising air of credibility.
For one, it brought back Thomas Jane, who had previously played Frank Castle in 2004’s The Punisher. Dirty Laundry also has a brief role for Ron Perlman, who would have been reaching the end of his time on Sons of Anarchy when this was filmed.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
It’s a pretty by-the-numbers Punisher story. Frank, living in a van on the streets of New York, is just trying to get his laundry done when a gang terrorizes a number of passers-by. He attempts to mind his own business but ultimately is forced to intervene.
What follows is a symphony of violence as Frank takes down the gang with just his wits and a bottle of Jack Daniels. The effects on display here are gruesome; if you can’t handle spurts of blood or the multitude of bones protruding from limbs, this short isn’t for you.
The Punisher: Dirty Laundry was a hot topic when it was released, not least of all because the movie was, at best, a glorified Marvel fan film that was released while The Avengers was still in theaters. Its legacy has persisted through today, though, and ironically thanks to the MCU.
In a 2016 interview with ScreenGeek, Jon Bernthal pointed to Dirty Laundry as the inspiration for his portrayal of The Punisher. Jane’s performance has always been sorely underrated in the pantheon of actors to play The Punisher, but his restrained demeanor and the nuances he brings to this film do read like a prototype version of what Bernthal would eventually do with the character.
Dirty Laundry is the last time Jane would play The Punisher, at least for now. Bernthal will reprise the role for Daredevil: Born Again when it releases in March 2025.
While you wait for that, check out our Deadpool 3 ending explainer, or find all the Easter eggs in the movie with us. You can also read about Deadpool & Wolverine’s jaw-dropping box office and look ahead to upcoming Marvel movies like Avengers Doomsday.
