The Punisher is a 1989 vigilante action-thriller film directed by Mark Goldblatt, written by Boaz Yakin, and starring Dolph Lundgren. Based on the Punisher character from Marvel Comics. It was shot in Sydney, co-starring Louis Gossett Jr, Jeroen Krabbé, Kim Miyori, Nancy Everhard, and Barry Otto.

Hans "Dolph" Lundgren is a Swedish-American actor, filmmaker and martial artist. Born in Spånga, Sweden, Lundgren became interested in martial arts at a young age. This would lead him to hold the rank of 4th dan black belt in Kyokushin karate and become European champion in 1980 and 1981. In 1982, while studying to get a master's degree, he became the boyfriend of singer Grace Jones. With her, he moved to New York City and started to take acting classes. In 1985, Lundgren had a breakthrough role playing the lead villain as an imposing Soviet boxer named Ivan Drago in Sylvester Stallone's Rocky IV.