Artisan Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today that actor Thomas Jane will play Frank Castle, the tortured vigilante known as 'The Punisher,' in the film version of the Marvel Comic series that is now slated to hit theaters in the summer of 2004.  Marvel's Avi Arad characterized the choice this way, 'By signing Thomas, we follow the Marvel tradition of bringing art-house actors in to tackle our complex characters,' a theme that was echoed by Punisher producer Gale Anne Hurd, who noted, 'Thomas is one of our finest actors and comes from the indie world as have other actors who've assumed superhero roles so successfully, such as Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man) and Eric Bana (The Hulk).' Thomas Jane, who can be currently seen in the movie adaptation of Stephen King's Dreamcatcher, also had prominent roles in The Sweetest Thing, The Thin Red Line, and Boogie Nights. Screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh will both write and direct The Punisher film, which should commence shooting in July.