When I first saw The Punisher: War Zone I pretty much hated it. Yet another Punisher reboot that simply didn’t work. However, upon further reflection over subsequent months I realized War Zone wasn’t bad. Actually, it was Ray Stevenson’s performance as Frank Castle that single-handedly saved the film.
Stevenson continued to flesh out his bad ass resume as Titus Pullo in the mini-series Rome. While Titus was a more benign individual at times it didn’t take much to bring out the Punisher-esque tendencies when he reverted to his soldier role. In fact, Rome had some of the best action sequences ever and Stevenson again was brilliant in this capacity.
So, what happens when you combine The Punisher and Titus Pullo? How about one of Thor’s Warriors Three: Volstagg? Of course, the most obvious question was how Stevenson would fill out Volstagg’s large, um…physique:
“…a solution is at hand, in the shape of a fat suit. “It’s fantastic,” said a beaming Stevenson. “I’ve tried the suit on, and what they’ve done is kind of sex him up: he’s sort of slimmer but rounder.”
Okay, I can live with a fat suit. Fortunately, it sounds like Volstagg will still be a force to be reckoned with no matter his weight:
“He’s got every bit of that Falstaffian verve and vigour, and a bit of a beergut to suggest that enormous appetite, but he’s not the sort of Weeble-shaped figure he is in the comics. He’s Falstaff with muscles. I’ve got this amazing foam-injected undersuit that flexes with me. I can’t wait!”
We’re just as anxious as you are Ray! Thor, featuring Anthony Hopkins as well as Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, and Stellan Skarsgard hits theaters on May 11, 2011.
