The Punisher is a 2004 vigilante action film based on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher. It was directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, who co-wrote the film with Michael France. The film stars Thomas Jane as the eponymous antihero who seeks revenge against Howard Saint (John Travolta), a crime boss who ordered the deaths of the former's family. The film's plot was mainly inspired by two Punisher comic book stories: the 1994 miniseries The Punisher: Year One, by writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, and the 2000β01 miniseries Welcome Back, Frank, by writer Garth Ennis.