How bad does a Marvel film have to be to not receive a theater release? This should be the title of this series of articles about Pre-MCU films, because these films we are about to discuss were considered so bad they went straight to video in the US. In 1990, Marvel was trying to catch up with DC’s powerhouse, 1989’s Batman with a Punisher film staring Dolph Lundgren and a Captain America film that features the parents from A Christmas Story. So, how bad can these films really be?

Before Jon Bernthal, Thomas Jane, and the late Ray Stevenson; Frank Castle was brought to life by action legend Dolph Lundgren. Yes, Ivan Drago was The Punisher for one film. This idea on paper seems to have potential, does it work having Dolph as The Punisher?

Directed by Mark Goldblatt and a script by Boaz Yakin (who wrote the screenplay on The Harder They Fall and Now You See Me), The Punisher is your typical action film from the late 80s, early 90s. Dolph Lundgren is brooding without a shirt and sweaty throughout the film, barely speaks besides saying something that may or may not sound cool while shooting up the bad guy. On the other hand, Captain America is a drastic change from what The Punisher does.

Marvel, Live Entertainment

Directed by Albert Pyun, produced by Menahem Golan (known for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Masters of the Universe) and screenplay by Stephen Tolkin, Captain America has all the ingredients of an action TV show. Before Chris Evan, the character of Captain America could not catch a break with Dick Purcell playing a gun wielding Captain America in 1944 serials, Reb Brown playing the character throwing a plastic shield that is more like Evil Knievel than Captain America in 1979. In this film, the character is played by Matt Salinger, whom dons the costume well but that is about it, and everything else is very questionable.

The most questionable thing about Captain America,is not the slow action or terrible directing… It is changing the Red Skull to an Italian character. Red Skull is played by Scott Paulin, who turns the menacing character into a parody version of Al Pacino. In fact this Red Skull has more in common with Pacino’s Big Boy Caprice in Dick Tracy than it does with Hugo Weaving’s Red Skull in the MCU.

21st Century Fox

Watching these films made us feel grateful that Marvel films got their act together with Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, the MCU does consist of some bad films but nothing like Captain America. Many of these films were not made with love and passion, like changing the Red Skull and giving Captain America a strange partnership with the daughter of the girl he loved before he was frozen in time. Granted this does happen with Sharon Cater in the MCU, but its done with an oddness in this film.

The Punisher is a fine action film from the early 90s but it’s only the Punisher in name. If you watch any other Dolph Lundgren film, there is nothing that makes this one stand out from any other film he did during that time. After both of these films, it gets easier to watch films on the characters, but truthfully I cannot recommend any of these films. Although if you do decide to spend a night catching up on comic book films you may have missed, The Punisher does feature a fun performance by the late Louis Gossett Jr.