Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Starring Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle / The Punisher) and Judith Light (Ma Gnucci) with Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), Jason R. Moore (Curtis Hoyle), and Kelli Barrett (Maria Castle)
THE PUNISHER: ONE LAST KILL
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green
Written by Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green
A Kevin Feige Production
Executive Producers: Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Sana Amanat, Jon Bernthal, and Reinaldo Marcus Green
Music By Kris Bowers
Distributed by Disney Platform Distribution
Run Time: 51-minutes
Initial Streaming: May 12, 2026
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
Marvel Entertainment
Fun The Punisher: One Last Kill Facts
Frank Castle’s MCU story began way back in 2016’s Daredevil: Season Two, which initially aired on Netflix. Frank Castle’s unique world view caused him to significantly clash with Matt Murdock and the unique relationship between Frank and Matt was for many the highlight of that show. Jon Bernthal would go on to receive his own Netflix series, landing two Seasons in 2017 and 2019. From there, Marvel Studios restructured Marvel Television, and the Netflix shows came over to Disney+ and were soon thereafter confirmed to be MCU canon. Jon Bernthal appeared as Frank Castle in Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again: Season One where his volatile relationship with Matt Murdock was revisited. Then, 10-years removed from Castle’s MCU debut, 2026 would prove to be a big year for The Punisher, with this Special Presentation paving the way for an appearance in Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The Punisher: One Last Kill drew inspiration from Garth Ennis’ Welcome Back, Frank comic book arc in which Ma Gnucci made her comic book debut.
The Punisher: One Last Kill began filming on July 17, 2025, in New York City and wrapped on August 24, 2025. After filming his scenes for One Last Kill, Jon Berthal joined the Spider-Man: Brand New Day production.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is the third production to fall under Special Presentation banner following Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle will be the second major character to crossover from television to film in the same role. Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdoch was the first, appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021.
On the MCU (616) Timeline, The Punisher: One Last Kill takes place concurrently with Daredevil: Born Again – Season Two and should be watched prior to Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
My The Punisher: One Last Kill Review
From the top, let me go ahead and say that I love the Frank Castle character. He is an anti-hero with no tolerance for evil, and I love that about him! It’s an age-old debate within the superhero and comic book communities: Should one cross the line and take a life in order to put a definitive end to the threat of a villain? Everyone has an opinion one way or the other and we have seen this debated in the MCU between Frank Castle and Matt Murdock and then between Matt Murdock and Karen Page. We have seen Matt refuse to resort to killing anyone, and that makes him heroic yes, but when a villain is allowed to remain in the land of the living and continues to hurt and kill the innocent, does that not fall back on Matt? Is he somewhat responsible?
Matt Murdock relies on faith and belief in the system and that allows him to stay true to his conviction and makes him a very unique Marvel character. Frank Castle on the other hand, pretty much thinks Matt Murdock is an idiot. He has one goal and one goal only: make evildoers pay for their actions in the most brutal and conclusive way possible. Frank relies upon the all-consuming grief that haunts him in order to stay true to his conviction.
Personally, I view Frank Castle as a hero. The scum that he routinely kills deserve their fate. Frank was forged by injustice, betrayal, and horrific loss to evolve into a terrifying vigilante that evildoers know to fear. What’s not to like?
The Punisher: One Last Kill gets viewers caught up with Frank Castle in the MCU year of 2027, and he is NOT in a good place. At all. He’s just barely taking care of himself, and he has reached a point where he no longer wants to live. He is a recluse that takes too many pills and drinks too much and he is an absolute mess, ever haunted by regret over the loss of his beloved family. Frank constantly wrestles with the “what if’s” and this only causes him to continue blaming himself as he juggles the guilt and depression. Frank may not be heroic, but he is a very relatable character for anyone who has dealt with loss and injustice.
After establishing that Frank is suicidal and he is haunted by hallucinations of love lost and interrupted friendships that serve as his conscience, we see Frank sort of begrudgingly find the will to live another day. It isn’t long after that he happens upon Ma Gnucci, the matriarch of the Gnucci Crime Family. As it turns out, Frank killed her husband and three sons and she is out for revenge, warning Frank that she had placed a large bounty on his head and a gleeful decree that every criminal in the city would be coming for him.
Just as predicted, thugs consume the apartment complex at which Frank lives, attacking the people that live there and setting Frank’s room ablaze. Frank responds as only he knows how: violent, painful, and merciless death! The fight spills over to the rooftop and then into the streets. Frank kills and kills and kills some more and saves a family at a nearby bodega. The little girl gifts Frank with a paper rose, which he later takes to his daughter’s grave. He then accepts that he has more work to do, donning his notorious skull vest and executing a thug that had disgustingly terrorized an elderly man.
The Punisher is back!
This Special Presentation was way better than I thought it would be and the short run-time mat have actually been beneficial to the production. The premise was easy to understand and after the first 15 minutes or so, the action is non-stop. If you like the TV-M sort of shows, and if you like a production that has language and violence along with great acting, and most of all, if you like watching The Punisher punish, you’re going to love this special!
There are guns galore and some very graphic violence as Frank almost effortlessly mows through the thugs that are out to kill him. I think this may be the most violent MCU production ever. Yes, Deadpool and Wolverine had its fair share, but a lot of that was over-the-top violence with a lot of humor mixed in. The Punisher: One Last Kill isn’t funny, and it never bothers with levity. From the start, you see a guy murder a man’s dog in broad daylight. Then there is the deep emotion of Frank wrestling with his demons, leading up to him finally finding purpose again and unleashing hell on the thugs that were seeking to claim the bounty. Then, at the end, we go right back to the emotion when the little girl gives Frank that rose and he then takes it to his daughter’s grave.
Jon Bernthal has such a great understanding for this character and such a passion for it, and that shows in each of his performances as The Punisher over the past decade. He has a reverence for this character and he takes it very, very seriously. Seeing him in action as Frank Castle on the big screen is the thing about Spider-Man: Brand New Day that I am most excited for!
Were there any negatives? Well, maybe it was too short, but I knew the run-time going in. I just had such a satisfying 45-minutes or so, that I just wanted more. And we will get more this Summer with Brand New Day.
If you are a Punisher fan, you are going to LOVE this Special Presentation!
Marvel Studios / The Walt Disney Company
Highlights of The Punisher: One Last Kill:
Jon Bernthal is Frank Castle / The Punisher
The Punisher Punishing
You can Continue following the MCU journey of The Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).
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