6) The Punisher
It’s easy to forget that The Punisher is a Marvel creation, as the gun-toting vigilante is so far removed from the family-friendly majority of the company’s characters. Still, Marvel haven’t shied away from the character on screen. Three movies have been made starring the Punisher – in 1989, 2004 and 2008, respectively – and he is set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Daredevil season two.
The Punisher’s popularity is probably largely to do with how different he is to Marvel’s usual output. Real name Frank Castle, the Punisher’s family was killed by the mob, so he took it upon himself to, well, punish all criminals by any means necessary. He gets the job done, but his extreme methods means he crosses the line into criminality himself.
Despite the three movies under his belt, none have really nailed him, which is why he doesn’t feature higher on this list. Hopefully Jon Bernthal can rectify this when he appears in Daredevil.