Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
The Punisher arrived in 2004 from Lions Gate Films, a gritty reboot of Marvel's vigilante property aimed at reviving the character for a new generation of action fans. Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and starring Thomas Jane as Frank Castle, the film leaned into hard-edged revenge cinema rather than typical superhero spectacle, carving out a cult following among collectors who prize its unpolished, brutal tone. It remains a touchstone for fans tracking the Punisher's uneven journey through multiple studios and eras before his eventual embrace by Marvel Studios properties.
This cell centers on Joan, a supporting figure in Castle's orbit within his apartment building, one of the few civilians drawn into his war. A knife in her hands signals a moment of consequence, tension, or resolve, a beat where an ordinary character is pulled into extraordinary danger. Collectors seek these frames because they capture the film's willingness to arm even its quieter characters, reinforcing the surrounding brutality that defines this era of Punisher storytelling.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of The Punisher (2004).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along one edge, appearing as a dual bilateral (two-track) variable-area pattern; Dolby Digital pixel blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, indicating a hybrid optical/Dolby Digital soundtrack area.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to quote any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a warm neutral tint consistent with a colour dye-coupler image; no obvious red shift or significant fading is apparent.
Projection history
Light longitudinal scratching is visible running parallel to the film edge across all three frames, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of The Punisher (2004).
Era check
The combination of a hybrid Dolby Digital pixel-block track with a variable-area optical backup track is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early-to-mid 2000s, matching the 2004 release date 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 000064447
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
