Punisher
Time and time again, filmmakers have tried and failed to bring Frank Castle to life on screen. Say what you want about Thomas Lane and Ray Stevenson, but neither actor was truly able to transmit the tortured crimefighter to audiences and The Punisher brand has languished as a result, losing ground to more palatable characters in the Marvel and DC ranks.
Now, Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead) has the chance to give his own take in an upcoming Netflix series. Reports suggest it’ll closely hew the line sowed by Marvel and is being developed in conjunction with the comic book powerhouse. That’s good news, as is the inclusion of Bernthal, who has the acting chops and personality to pull off Castle’s savagery. If The Punisher proves third time lucky, there’s no reason we won’t be treated to a movie further down the line.
Darkseid
Time will tell whether we’ll get a Darkseid to remember in the upcoming Justice League film, but one thing’s for sure: few characters in the DC stable are as scary as the dark one: an intergalactic tyrant who operates from the shadows and manipulates his foes.
There’s no word yet on who’s playing the character, but one rumor floating around is that Jeff Bridges will take on the role of the bad guy who arranges his minions like pawns on an enormous chess board.
After Bridges’ turn as Obadiah Stane in Iron Man, he has the necessary cunning to pull off a character who is the comic book version of a modern-day politician. Darkseid favors his intellect over his brawn, but if push comes to shove, he’s got immense strength and laser beams to boot. Those help.