25 Things You Need to Know about The Punisher on Netflix

14. Thomas Jane Made A Punisher Themed Short Film Called Dirty Laundry

Yes, Thomas Jane’s Punisher movie was a failure, but it had little to do with Jane. The actor loved playing the role and wanted to continue with a better script – getting a second chance to play Frank Castle on the big screen. He wanted it so much that he financed his short film and then brought it with him to ComicCon.

Thomas Jane was smart. Everyone knew this was him playing The Punisher, but he never used the name The Punisher or the name Frank Castle in the entire short film. While it was clear what he was doing, Jane did nothing that could have warranted a cease-and-desist letter from Marvel.

The short had Jane’s character witnessing a gang trying to force a young man to sell drugs for them, and then he buys a bottle of Jack Daniels, which he uses to beat the gang bangers down. He pours the whiskey on them and then lays a lighter down and leaves. A prostitute that they beat up early on picks up the lighter and finishes the job as Jane’s character leaves.

The Dirty Laundry movie picked up a lot of press and attention. Even fans who did not like Jane’s Punisher movie came around and wondered what Jane could do with a film like his short – an R-rated movie about The Punisher that kept its feet on the ground and wasn’t trying so hard to be a Hollywood action film. One man who loved it was Jon Bernthal, and he said he decided to bring the attitude of the short film into his role in the Marvel Netflix series.