I think that The Punisher was inspired by author Don Pendleton's character Mack Bolan: The Executioner. He first came into the scene in 1969. The Punisher, Frank Castle came out in 1974. Both men were military trained, specialists in weapons, hand-to-hand combat, infiltration, languages and tactics. Both men had family tragedies where the Mafia was involved. Both men became an army of one in their war against the Mafia. Mack Bolan served in special operations units as had Frank Castle.
The first actor to play Frank Castle was Dolph Lundgren. He had the hundred yard stare that Castle had in the comics down.
Thomas Jane was the second. He used many of the techniques to get the results he wanted like torture, intelligence gathering and stealth.
Ray Winstone was the third and used all of his lethal skills with impunity.
Jon Bernthal best demonstrates Castle's relentlessness and high tolerance to pain.
The Punisher is an antihero. He is a loner with no one(especially a woman) in his life.
Mack Bolan had been with many women. His daughter is a member of a special unit, herself.
