You may think that the Punisher is the most bad-ass S.O.B. in the latest installment of the ruthless justice-seeker flick – Punisher: War Zone. Well you’re wrong, this time the toughest guy is a lady – the film’s director Lexi Alexander.

The 32-year-old Alexander used to be a world kickboxing and karate champion, but now she’s an Academy-Award-nominated filmmaker.

''I can't imagine being a woman without that background in this business, ' said Alexander, ''because I really would wonder if you correct a guy's punch, what they would say if they wouldn't know that you used to be the world kickboxing champion.''

Needless to say she has what it takes to get the cast and stuntmen to… cooperate with her style of direction.

The movie is the latest in a line (numbering several franchises) of adaptations of the Punisher graphic novels from Marvel Comics; needless to say the film result is about as graphic as the original comics. Both mediums pit Frank Castle as the person who makes sure that if you’re guilty, you’re dead, no matter your crime. Although he doesn’t (usually) shoot people for jaywalking, he’s not above torturing, snapping necks, spreading guts around by means of grenade or impaling baddies on various sharp implements.

And Lexi Alexander is a woman who knows how to portray violence.

''Lexi knows what it is like to step into a ring, face someone and know that person is going to try and hit her as hard as possible,'' said Stevenson. ''Only one will walk away from the ring. She's very unique by thinking this way, and it's very important for a film like this. ''

Stevenson got to feel that firsthand, as Alexander moved him into her fight choreographer’s house to get him into shape, as she felt he enjoyed “the good life” a little bit too much.

Training and martial arts have been an integral part of the German-born Alexander’s life since she started taking karate lessons at 8, signed up by her mother who wanted to get her out and about.

Alexander had won both European and World Karate Championships by 1995, and was sponsored for her green card by one of her childhood idols, Chuck Norris, who incidentally also awarded her trophy at said championships. Then, trying her luck in Hollywood, she did stunt work to pay for her UCLA film courses.

Later on, using her fighting knowledge, she wrote and directed a 2003 short film called Johnny Flynton, about a boxer accused of murdering his wife. The film shot up her career and earned her an Oscar nomination.

In 2005 she made Green Street Hooligans, an independent movie with Elijah Wood, which ended up with her being offered the chance to direct the Punisher movie.

Though not fighting in the ring, being a woman in a male-dominated profession, Lexi still has to fight for everything she wants to achieve.

"Do I think I have to be twice as careful? I truly believe that if I would make a bad film I might be walking into directors' jail and never out," she said. "And that I think is probably a little more true because I'm a woman."