Mel Gibson Is THE PUNISHER. The Most Brilliant FanCast In The World


I tend to spend a lot of time wandering around the interwebs. Not an insane amount, mind you. But enough.

I am the boss here, at UTF, so all of my obligations can conveniently fit into a short list.

1) Arrive at our NYC office
2) pour myself a nice glass of coffee
3) Drink the coffee, complain about lack of energy, then pass out on the couch until 11 am
4) Wake up, wipe the drool from my face, and jump on the labtop
5) Read weird shit until it’s time to go home

Well, in a bit of Marvel fueled browsing, I happened upon one of the coolest fancastings I’ve ever seen. Mel Gibson. The man, the myth, the racist… as THE PUNISHER!!! A pretty awesome idea, right?

Here’s the full rundown from our FanCasting pal:

mel gibson thanos avengers

The Punisher on Netflix, directed and starring none other than MEL GIBSON.

Hear me out here… I know Mel is old, I know he is crazy, I know he has been Hollywood poison for a good number of years now. Imagine this, Matt Murdock gets a case to (either defend or prosecute) Frank Castle. Murdock and Castle are two sides of the same coin in the sense that they both seek justice and frankly there has to be a part of Murdock that is jealous that Castle just goes out there and does what he does without shame. In this story I am painting, Castle is played by Mel Gibson and the character stays true to his comic origins as a soldier in Vietnam returning home from combat to a murdered family and a country that hates him. Now the year 2015, Castle is a man in his late 50s, early 60s, but he is still out there fighting crime, a street level vigilante. Of course none of that is shown on screen, only talked about. This introduction of Frank Castle in Daredevil Season 2 would lead to a Punisher solo series (just like Iron Fist, Daredevil, etc). The Punisher series however would follow a younger Castle and tell the story of Frank’s origins and the beginning of his career as a murderous vigilante. This series would follow Agent Carter as a period story set in 1970s New York, a time and location packed to the brims with drug addiction, low level criminals and organized crime. It would also lean heavily on telling the story of how US veterans were treated in the years following the end of the Vietnam war and the type of effect this had on our nation’s Vietnam vets.

Now, I know quite a few of you might be immediately turned off by the suggestion of Gibson. After all, the dude created some pretty vile videos and voicemails a few years ago. In those clips, Gibson unleashed some casual bouts of antisemitism, some pretty disgusting racist slurs, and a small spoonfull of misogyny.

But I’m willing to let that slide.

mel gibson almost wolverine

Now, before everyone accuses me of minimalizing Mel Gibson’s outrage, hear me out. You shouldn’t care. Yeah, I said it. I, a half Jew, half Puerto Rican, is telling you not to care about a dude known for racist & sexist remarks. Why? Well, the dude is a fucking alcoholic and says fucked up stuff. If you’ve ever known an alcoholic, they’re self destructive, diseased individuals that usually do dumb shit. Have you ever said fucked up stuff when you’re drunk or pissed? Do you know a friend who has? Are they otherwise a decent human being? I’m pretty sure the answer for most of you is “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

Mel Gibson’s rants weren’t remarkable. It happens often. Is it right? Not at all. But should we judge Gibson’s ethics based on these drunken rants? No. I prefer to look at his $30 million + donated to charitable organizations, and the defense he receives from his friends (Jews, women, and people of color who’ve all cited).

After all, we’re just a bunch of American assholes wearing clothes produced in sweatshops, typing on computers created by debt slaves, and eating grub from trade-bullied nations.

At the end of the day, a drunk guy’s rants aren’t that remarkable. You’re doing more fucked up stuff right now, using your apple products. If you’re going to deride someone based on ethical arguments, at least be consistent.