"Rome's" Ray Stevenson is the new "Punisher"

CEBU, Philippines -  Best known for playing the legionary Titus Pullo in the acclaimed HBO television series “Rome,” British actor Ray Stevenson now takes on the vengeful comic book vigilante Frank Castle in Columbia Pictures’ and Marvel Studios’ new action-thriller “Punisher: War Zone.”

Waging his one-man war on the world of organized crime, ruthless vigilante-hero Frank Castle sets his sights on overeager mob boss Billy Russoti (Dominic West). After Russoti is left horribly disfigured by Castle, he sets out for vengeance under his new alias: Jigsaw. Now, Frank must stand up to the formidable army that Jigsaw has recruited before more of his evil deeds go unpunished.

Ray Stevenson admits that he was challenged by the moral complexities of Castle’s actions, and he still maintains that the Punisher is not a role model to be emulated, but a warning. “There is a kind of nihilism to his actions,” says the actor. “He doesn’t set himself up as a protector of the innocent, he’s a punisher of the corrupt. That’s a very clear line to draw.”

Stevenson believes Castle remains sympathetic because he hasn’t lost his humanity. In fact, Castle is often all too human. “He hasn’t got super powers or lightning bolts shooting out his eyeballs or anything like that,” he says. “He uses skills he’s learned to get his job done. I think people also identify with his personal story as a man who suffered a tremendous tragedy in his life and decided on a route of vendetta, a vigilante attitude that says that once people cross a certain line, they’re beyond redemption.”

Adds director Lexi Alexander, “What I would say is unique about this Punisher is that you’ve got a great actor playing the part, Ray Stevenson. There is gravitas and a sense of sorrow to his task, and along with the action there is a heart, one that’s been beaten down but is still there.”

Stevenson, who had no previous fighting experience, spent months before production training for his role. “We had quite a bit of time to train him,” says stunt coordinator Pat Johnson. Endurance was one of the prime objectives, as Stevenson faced weeks of twelve-hour days in which he was performing nothing but stunts and hand-to-hand combat.

Not simply satisfied with achieving a high level of fitness, Stevenson also trained with military advisor Jon Barton, who taught him how to handle and fire a vast array of weapons, as well as how to move like a man with military training. “We did a lot of work with weapons: transitioning from a rifle to a pistol, using two pistols, using two pistols and a rifle, grenade launchers and rocket launchers,” says Barton. “After six weeks, we started doing force-on-force, which is where I had Ray engage my fellow employees in mock battle sequences where he would be the Punisher and he would have to kill everybody, and they had to try to kill him. That was really fun because it gave him a chance to be shot at.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “Punisher: War Zone” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.