Jason Stathamfans are going to get another round of everyone’s favorite shaven-headed British action hero when he returns as Adam Clay inThe Beekeeper 2. New franchise director Timo Tjahjanto, who takes the helm from David Ayer, has recently opened up about what he wants to bring to the new movie while promoting his current actioner, Bob Odenkirk’sNobody 2. In short, he wants Statham’s apiarist avenger to be his version of Marvel’s Punisher.
There are many movies that are born from a filmmaker’s desire to create in the sandbox of a big IP, and they don’t come much bigger than the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Tjahjanto has not yet been invited to play with Frank Castle, he is simply making Statham’s Adam Clay into a Punisher-like character for his own amusement. Speaking toScreenRant, Tjahjanto said:
“I’m definitely drawn to the Beekeeper series just because when I watched it, I always felt that, “Wow, this is essentially Statham playing one of my favorite characters in the Marvel universe, which is The Punisher.
“If I can’t make The Punisher film, if the Gods of film aren’t allowing me to do a Punisher film yet, then I’ll turn Adam Clay into my own version of The Punisher. Which is great! I think Statham has that quality in him. He has that very stoic Frank Castle-esque quality to him. And I love that Adam Clay is definitely a guy who is quite colorful in his choice of violence. He gets really, really creative with his violence.”
‘The Beekeeper 2’ Could Be Every Bit as Brutal as Marvel’s Punisher
David Ayer’sThe Beekeeperwas a sleeper hit that still refuses to lay down and die. The film topped $162 million worldwide off a reported $40 million budget, and even now continues to appear frequently in streaming charts. The sequel is once again scripted by Kurt Wimmer, while Ayer is the producer this time around, which means we can expect yet more of the ultra-violent madness that made the first movie a hit and continued to please legions of Statham fans.
Naturally, aside from the violence, Marvel’s Frank Castle has a deep and dark history, as a former Marine who turns to being a relentless vigilante after being hardened by the murder of his family. WhetherThe Beekeeper 2will look to peel back the layers of Clay to give him a similar edge, or whether Tjahjanto simply hints at the violent nature of the two characters, is yet to be revealed, but it seems that the director is more than happy to put something of his own Punisher vision intoThe Beekeeper 2– very similar towhat Zack Snyder did withRebel Moon.
For now, everything anyone needs to take away from Tjahjanto’s comments is that Statham’s return inThe Beekeeper 2is not about to shy away from the same bloody mayhem the first movie delivered in spades – and knives, fists, guns and everything else. If Tjahjanto’s desire to turn Adam Clay into his own Punisher turns out to be a crowdpleaser to rival or even surpass the original movie, then there is no reason for this to be Statham’s final movie in the role.
