Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
Released in 2004 and distributed by Lionsgate, The Punisher arrived as part of a wave of Marvel adaptations still finding their footing before the studio system built around the character had fully matured. Thomas Jane took on the role of Frank Castle, a former agent turned vigilante driven by the murder of his family, in a film that leaned into hard crime drama rather than costumed spectacle. It sits apart from later Marvel output for its grim, R-rated tone, and it remains a touchstone for fans who prefer their antiheroes unpolished and their violence unvarnished by later franchise gloss.
This cell, Frank Castle - Armed, centers on the character at his most elemental: a man defined by the weapon in his hand and the mission behind it. With both Thomas Jane's portrayal and Dolph Lundgren's earlier take on the character named here, the piece speaks to the Punisher's long screen history across separate productions. Collectors prize this framing because it distills the character to his core identity, the armed enforcer, without needing dialogue or plot to explain his purpose.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of The Punisher (2004).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on the upper edge; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on the upper edge, evenly spaced and cleanly punched; lower edge perforations are also present and appear evenly spaced
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the lower portion of the strip beside the picture area, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area track; Dolby Digital pixel blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at a legible level; no key numbers or manufacturer text can be read
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-amber tint consistent with a colour dye coupler stock; the dye image reads as a colour positive with no obvious red shift or fading
Projection history
Light vertical scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with an action sequence from a 2004 theatrical release
Era check
The combination of dual bilateral variable-area optical track and Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks is consistent with a mid-2000s theatrical release print, matching the 2004 release date of the film on record
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000064413
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
