When the Punisher first entered the world of Marvel Comics, in a 1974 issue of “The Amazing-Spider Man”, he was supposed to be called “Assassin.” The series’s writer, Gerry Conway, envisioned the character as a villain who would eventually become an antihero, but Marvel’s Stan Lee advised against the name, saying it could never be used for a good guy. Lee, at least as he told Alter Ego magazine in a 2005 interview, suggested “The Punisher” instead.In both that 1974 issue, and the second season of Netflix’s Daredevil, (which premiered in April, 2016), the Punisher is undoubtedly an assassin, gunning down New York mobsters with impunity. But his appeal is all thanks to Stan Lee’s clever name: Here, finally, is a disciplinarian who will set the bad guys straight. Continue reading
After languishing in development for several years, Paramount and MGM’s long-awaited Death Wish remake is finally moving forward. Deadline reports that Bruce Willis has signed on to star, with Israeli filmmakers Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado (Big Bad Wolves) coming aboard to direct. Paramount and MGM will distribute the remake, which hopes to get production started this summer.