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 through Lionsgate and Marvel Enterprises, part of a mid-2000s wave attempting to bring darker, R-rated comic properties to theaters before the genre tilted toward franchise spectacle. Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and led by Thomas Jane, it drew on the character's long comics history as a grim vigilante rather than a costumed hero, distinguishing it from the era's brighter superhero fare. The film has since become a touchstone for fans who prefer street-level, violent crime stories within the Marvel catalog, and it retains a devoted following separate from mainstream MCU output.
This cell centers on Frank Castle himself, the former soldier turned one-man war against organized crime, a figure collectors seek out precisely because he anchors the entire narrative. A cell bearing his name alone suggests a moment built around his presence as the film's singular focus, without surrounding cast to share the frame. For archivists, isolating the lead character this way marks a foundational artifact of the production, useful as a reference point for the character's screen identity within this particular adaptation.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour theatrical release print of The Punisher (2004).
Gauge
35mm, 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 visible torn or deformed holes.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area; Dolby Digital data blocks appear present in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, consistent with a dual-format optical release print.
Edge print
Not fully legible in this capture; partial characters are visible along the lower edge but cannot be quoted with certainty.
Base & colour
The base shows a warm amber-gold tint along the lower strip and a cooler blue-tinted upper strip; the dye image reads as a colour positive with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
Light longitudinal lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with projection wear; no splices or cue marks are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, consistent with a theatrical release print of The Punisher (2004).
Era check
The combination of variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, colour positive stock, and amber safety base is consistent with a mid-2000s theatrical release print.
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 000064450
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
