The Punisher: One Last Kill

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The Punisher: One Last Kill
The Punisher One Last Kill poster.jpg
Release poster
Genre
Based on Marvel Comics
Written by
Directed byReinaldo Marcus Green
StarringJon Bernthal
Composer Kris Bowers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
Production location New York City
Cinematography Robert Elswit
EditorMelissa Lawson Cheung
Production company Marvel Television
Original release
Network Disney+
Related

The Punisher: One Last Kill is an upcoming American television special directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Jon Bernthal and Green for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Punisher. It is intended to be the third Special Presentation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films and television series of the franchise. Produced by Marvel Studios under its Marvel Television label, the special is the second MCU production centered on the character following the television series The Punisher (2017–2019), produced by the previous Marvel Television company and originally released on Netflix. One Last Kill sees Frank Castle try to live a life without the need for revenge, only to be drawn into an unexpected conflict.

Contents

Bernthal reprises his role as Castle from Marvel's Netflix television series and the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again (2025–present), with Jason R. Moore and Roe Rancell also starring. Following the cancellation of The Punisher in 2019, Bernthal was cast for Born Again in March 2023. A special featuring his character was conceived during filming of the first season of that series, with Bernthal and Green revealed to be working on the project with Marvel Studios in February 2025. Filming began in mid-July in New York City and concluded in early August. The special's title was revealed in March 2026 along with its release date.

The Punisher: One Last Kill is scheduled to be released on May 12, 2026, as part of Phase Six of the MCU.

Premise

Frank Castle tries to live a life without the need for revenge, only to be drawn into an unexpected conflict. [1]

Cast

Also appearing are Roe Rancell as Dennis; [4] [5] Mila Jaymes as Charli; [6] Nick Koumalatsos as Nick and Colton Hill as Colton, members of Castle's Marine squad; [7] [8] and Jamal Lloyd Johnson as Barry. [9] Chelsea Brea, Dominick Mancino, Evelyn O. Vaccaro, and Tom Johnson have been cast in undisclosed roles. [6] Castle's deceased daughter Lisa appears in the special, [3] as does the character Ma Gnucci. [10]

Production

Background

In June 2015, Jon Bernthal was cast as the Marvel Comics character Punisher for the second season of the Netflix series Daredevil (2015–2018), which was produced by Marvel Television. [11] In April 2016, Netflix ordered the spin-off series The Punisher (2017–2019), with Bernthal reprising his role as Frank Castle / Punisher. [12] Both series were canceled by the end of February 2019, [13] not long before Marvel Television was folded into Marvel Studios, the production company behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films. [14] [15] A Disney+ revival series titled Daredevil: Born Again (2025–present) was announced by Marvel Studios in July 2022. [16] Bernthal was set to reprise his role by March 2023, [17] [18] but soon left the series because he did not agree with the direction it was taking Castle. After Born Again underwent a creative overhaul and former The Punisher writer Dario Scardapane was hired to be its showrunner, Bernthal returned and had input on the character's portrayal. He felt the first season of Born Again "opened the door to getting closer to the Frank Castle that I really, really want to portray". [19]

Development

During filming for the first season of Born Again, Bernthal conceived a story for a television special focused on the Punisher. [2] [19] The end of the season sees Castle arrested by New York City Mayor Wilson Fisk and later breaking out of his prison. [20] Marvel Studios looked at some of Bernthal's previous writing and then asked him to pitch the special to them before it moved forward. He said that he did not want them to "just hand it to me... they've held me accountable to every step along the way. I really want to earn this and I really want this to be good." [19] Brad Winderbaum, the head of streaming, television, and animation at Marvel Studios, revealed that the special was in development under the "Special Presentation" banner in February 2025. [21] Reinaldo Marcus Green was set to direct the special and was writing the screenplay with Bernthal, after they worked together on the film King Richard (2021) and the miniseries We Own This City (2022). [2] [19] Winderbaum said the character was very important to Bernthal, who he felt had turned the Punisher into an "icon". [21] In March 2026, the special's title was revealed as The Punisher: One Last Kill, [22] releasing as a "Marvel Television Special Presentation". [22] [23] The special is the first work produced based on Bernthal's writing. [19] It is intended to receive a TV-MA rating. [24] Executive producers include Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Winderbaum, and Sana Amanat, along with Bernthal and Green. [1]

Writing

Winderbaum said the Punisher was driven by pain, revenge, and justice, and felt the character was most interesting in stories that explored how his philosophy leads to specific ways of seeking justice. [21] He described the special as "a shotgun blast of a story, but [it] also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story". [2] Bernthal said the special would be a "version that this character deserves" and not "Punisher-lite", [25] later adding that it has the most "high-octane" portrayal of the character yet seen. [26] He said the special would have a "visceral, psychologically complex, unforgiving, no-holds-barred version of Frank where he's going to turn his back to the audience. And nothing is easy and all violence has a cost, and we're going to see that cost. I'm grateful that they're letting me go to the places that I really want to go." [19] Bernthal brought in former Marine Raider Nick Koumalatsos, who helped him train for Born Again, as a consultant on the special. [19] After filming the special, Bernthal filmed his scenes for the MCU film Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) and said it was important to himself, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, and director Destin Daniel Cretton that the film's portrayal of the Punisher feel like the same character that is seen in the special. [26] The special is concurrent with the events of the second season of Born Again. [27]

Casting

Bernthal was set to reprise his role as Frank Castle / Punisher in the special when it was announced. [2] In July 2025, set photos revealed Roe Rancell in the supporting role of Dennis, [4] [5] as well as Jason R. Moore reprising his role as Curtis Hoyle from The Punisher. [28] [3] Also appearing in the special are Mila Jaymes as Charli; [6] Nick Koumalatsos as Nick and Colton Hill as Colton, members of Castle's Marine squad; [7] [8] and Jamal Lloyd Johnson as Barry. [9] Chelsea Brea, Dominick Mancino, Evelyn O. Vaccaro, and Tom Johnson have been cast in undisclosed roles. [6]

Design

Emily Gunshor and Michael Shaw were, respectively, the costume designer and production designer for the special, after previously working on the first and second seasons of Born Again. [29] [ independent source needed ] [30]

Filming

Principal photography began by July 17, 2025, in New York City, [4] [31] [24] under the working title Jolly Roger, with Robert Elswit set as cinematographer. [32] Filming took place in Queens on Jamaica Avenue, [4] as well as near Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. [31] A building exterior featured signs for Gnucci's Family Restaurant, believed to be a reference to Ma Gnucci and the Gnucci crime family; [33] [34] the Gnucci crime family was previously featured in The Punisher. [35] [36] Filming occurred over 12 days and wrapped on August 4, 2025. [37]

Post-production

Melissa Lawson Cheung is editing the special, after previously working on the first two seasons of Born Again. [38]

Music

Green's frequent collaborator Kris Bowers was revealed to be composing the score for One Last Kill in April 2026. Bowers previously scored the MCU miniseries Secret Invasion (2023). [39]

Marketing

In October 2024, Marvel Comics announced a new publishing line titled Marvel Premier Collection , which consists of new paperback editions of popular comic book runs that are considered to be good starting points for new readers. [40] Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank, collecting The Punisher (2000) series by Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, and Jimmy Palmiotti, was released in March 2026 with a new introduction from Ennis and a foreword by Bernthal. [41] Footage from the special was included in a trailer for the second season of Born Again released on April 6, 2026, [42] ahead of a full trailer for the special which was released on April 9. [43] Commentators noted the return of Hoyle from The Punisher in the trailer, but questioned if he was appearing to Castle as a hallucination or memory. [3] [44] [45] The lack of specifics regarding the special's plot was also noted. [3] [44] [45] [8] [9] Despite this, Kyle Anderson of Nerdist said the special appeared to have the "classic Punisher vibe of sad violence", [45] while Gizmodo 's Cheryl Eddy said the trailer had "all the angst and emotional torture that accompanies" the character's violence. [44] Jordan King at Empire praised the trailer for its looks at Castle in "pure, baddie-pulping mode" as well as his psychological state. He wondered if the narrator of the trailer was Punisher comics villain Barracuda. [9] Chrishaun Baker of Inverse felt Bernthal's portrayal of the character had become "stagnant", with him never fully committing to his war against the criminal underworld and instead being in a "continued state of false retirement and denial". Baker wondered if the special's subtitle was meant to be ironic, where Castle gives "into his urges in what he believes will be 'the last time', only to finally accept the truth of who he is". [8]

Release

The Punisher: One Last Kill will be released on Disney+ on May 12, 2026. [22] It was originally reported to be released alongside the second season of Born Again, [46] which debuted in March 2026, [47] before Bernthal said the special would release "around [the] same time" as Brand New Day, which releases in July 2026. [26] One Last Kill will be released a week after the finale of the second season of Born Again. [22] It will be part of Phase Six of the MCU. [48]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Punisher One Last Kill Project Profile". The Walt Disney Company. March 24, 2026. Retrieved March 24, 2026– via Getty Images.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Romano, Nick (February 25, 2025). "Jon Bernthal's Punisher will headline Werewolf by Night-style Marvel special: 'Like a shotgun blast of a story' (exclusive)". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Romano, Nick (April 9, 2026). "Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle returns with a Marvel alum in 'The Punisher: One Last Kill' trailer". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on April 9, 2026. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Perez, Jose (July 17, 2025). "Jon Bernthal is seen filming "The Punisher" on Jamaica Avenue in Queens on July 17, 2025 in New York City". Getty Images. Archived from the original on July 19, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Roe Rancell Resume". TDH Talent Unlimited. Archived from the original on August 7, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2025– via Actors Access.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Amaya, Erik (April 9, 2026). "The Punisher: One Last Kill: Premiere Date, Cast, Trailers & More". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on April 10, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Flook, Ray (April 9, 2026). "The Punisher: One Last Kill Trailer Teases Frank's Bloody Next Chapter". Bleeding Cool . Archived from the original on April 9, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Baker, Chrishaun (April 9, 2026). "The Punisher: One Last Kill Trailer Teases A Major Change For The Character". Inverse . Archived from the original on April 10, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 King, Jordan (April 9, 2026). "The Punisher: One Last Kill Trailer Sees Jon Bernthal Searching For Peace — And Finding Violence". Empire . Archived from the original on April 10, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  10. ↑ Phillips, Tom (July 24, 2025). "Punisher Set Photos Seemingly Reveal Marvel Special Presentation's Villain". IGN . Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Jon Bernthal Cast as Frank Castle in the Netflix Original Series 'Marvel's Daredevil'". Marvel.com . June 9, 2015. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ Hibberd, James (April 29, 2016). "Marvel's The Punisher spin-off ordered by Netflix". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on May 2, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  13. ↑ Patten, Dominic (February 18, 2019). "'The Punisher' & 'Jessica Jones' Canceled By Netflix; Latter's 3rd Season Still To Air". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  14. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (December 10, 2019). "Marvel TV Division Folded Into Studio Unit, Layoffs Expected". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  15. ↑ Patten, Dominic; Andreeva, Nellie (December 10, 2019). "Marvel TV To Shut Down, Current Series Folded Into Marvel Studios". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  16. ↑ Vary, Adam B. (July 23, 2022). "Marvel Studios' Phases 5 and 6: Everything We Learned at Comic-Con About the Multiverse Saga". Variety . Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  17. ↑ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (March 7, 2023). "Jon Bernthal Returning as The Punisher for 'Daredevil: Born Again'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  18. ↑ Moreau, Jordan (March 8, 2023). "Jon Bernthal Confirms Punisher Return in 'Daredevil: Born Again' at Disney+". Variety . Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Romano, Nick (March 18, 2025). "Jon Bernthal on 'Daredevil' return, 'no-holds-barred' Punisher TV special (exclusive)". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  20. ↑ Garbutt, Emily (November 20, 2025). "The Punisher won't return for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 because of his upcoming Disney Plus TV special". Total Film . GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on November 22, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  21. 1 2 3 Schreur, Brandon (February 24, 2025). "The Punisher: MCU's Jon Bernthal to Return in Marvel Special Presentation". SuperHeroHype . Archived from the original on February 24, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Moreau, Jordan (March 24, 2026). "Jon Bernthal's 'Punisher' TV Special Titled 'One Last Kill' and Sets May Release Date, One Week After 'Daredevil: Born Again' Season 2 Finale". Variety . Archived from the original on March 27, 2026. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  23. ↑ "'A Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill' Release Date Revealed". Marvel.com . March 24, 2026. Archived from the original on March 24, 2026. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  24. 1 2 Kit, Borys; McClintock, Pamela (July 20, 2025). "Marvel's Kevin Feige Talks Scaling Back, Losing Kang and His Texts to James Gunn After 'Superman'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on July 20, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  25. ↑ Chuba, Kirsten (March 8, 2025). "Jon Bernthal on "Dark" Upcoming 'Punisher' Special: "It Will Not Be Punisher-Lite, I Promise You That"". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  26. 1 2 3 Hermanns, Grant; Crowley, Liam (December 4, 2025). "How The Punisher's Spider-Man: Brand New Day Role Affects MCU Continuity Of 2026 Disney+ Special Explained By Jon Bernthal". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on December 5, 2025. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  27. ↑ Romano, Nick (December 18, 2025). "Jessica Jones returns in 'Daredevil: Born Again' season 2 — Charlie Cox previews the war for New York (exclusive)". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on December 18, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  28. ↑ Chaudry, Anubhav (July 24, 2025). "The Punisher Set Photos Confirm Another Netflix Character From Marvel". SuperHeroHype . Archived from the original on July 25, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Resume — Emily Gunshor". Archived from the original on December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  30. ↑ "Alex Innocenti Resume". Alex Innocenti Illustration. Archived from the original on August 9, 2025. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  31. 1 2 Hayes, Jackson (July 16, 2025). "MCU Punisher Special Set Photos Confirm Connection to Another Defenders Show". ComicBook.com . Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  32. ↑ CinXperience [@CinXperience] (August 6, 2025). "@TheAcademy Award Winner Robert Elswit ('There Will Be Blood', 'MI: Rogue Nation') is the Cinematographer for 'The Punisher' special. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, also written by Reinaldo and Jon Bernthal. #ThePunisher wrapped today, hits Disney+ 2026!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on March 18, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2025– via X (formerly Twitter). – via Capra, Alison [@alisoncapra]; (August 8, 2025). "Photo Dump. Last Little Visit to NY. 🍎 What a special adventure. Watched Nick on set… Celebrated a very happy 5th birthday to Mr. Dimitri. Made new friends. Look out for a cameo appearance of our little ginger in the New Punisher Special Presentation". Archived from the original on March 18, 2026. Retrieved August 8, 2025– via Instagram.
  33. ↑ Hein, Michael (July 17, 2025). "MCU Punisher Set Photos Tease A New Villain (& Set Up One Of Frank's Most Brutal Kills)". ComicBook.com . Archived from the original on July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  34. ↑ Dodge, John (July 17, 2025). "The Punisher Set Photos Drop Massive Hint for Frank Castle's Next Villain". Comic Book Resources . Archived from the original on July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  35. ↑ Andrews, Simon (November 28, 2017). "Analyzing Each Episode of 'Marvel's The Punisher' Season 1". Screen Geek. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  36. ↑ Bruce, Amanda (November 18, 2017). "Things You Completely Missed In The Punisher". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  37. ↑ Massoto, Erick (August 7, 2025). "Ahead of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' Jon Bernthal Celebrates His Return as The Punisher in New Video". Collider . Archived from the original on August 8, 2025. Retrieved August 8, 2025. – via Sands, Steve [@stevesandsnyc]; (August 7, 2025). "8.4.25 Jon Bernthal in Punisher costume gives impassioned wrap speech to the crew on day 12 of filming his "Punisher" special to be released next year on Disney+. (C) Steve Sands / New York Newswire". Archived from the original on March 18, 2026. Retrieved August 7, 2025– via Instagram.
  38. ↑ "Melissa Lawson Cheung Resume" (PDF). Murtha Skouras Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 10, 2026. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Kris Bowers Scoring Marvel's 'The Punisher: One Last Kill'". Film Music Reporter. April 9, 2026. Archived from the original on April 10, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  40. ↑ Adams, Tim (October 16, 2024). "Marvel Announces New Publishing Line Featuring Classic Stories and All-Star Creators". ComicBook.com . Archived from the original on November 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  41. ↑ "Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank [Marvel Premier Collection]". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on February 10, 2026. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  42. ↑ Flook, Ray (April 6, 2026). "The Punisher: One Last Kill Look Included in New "Born Again" Trailer". Bleeding Cool . Archived from the original on April 6, 2026. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  43. ↑ Moreau, Jordan (April 9, 2026). "'Punisher: One Last Kill' Trailer: Jon Bernthal Set on Fire and Goes on Murderous Rampage in Violent Marvel TV Special". Variety . Archived from the original on April 9, 2026. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  44. 1 2 3 Eddy, Cheryl (April 9, 2026). "'The Punisher: One Last Kill' Trailer Promises Many Kills, Actually". Gizmodo . Archived from the original on April 10, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  45. 1 2 3 Anderson, Kyle (April 9, 2026). "Frank Castle Goes Off in The Punisher: One Last Kill Trailer". Nerdist . Archived from the original on April 10, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  46. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (February 25, 2025). "Jon Bernthal to Return in 'Punisher' Special for Marvel and Disney+". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  47. ↑ Ortiz, Andi (January 27, 2026). "'Daredevil: Born Again' Season 2 Trailer Brings the Return of Jessica Jones, a Glimpse at Matthew Lillard and More". TheWrap . Archived from the original on January 27, 2026. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  48. ↑ Edwards, Molly (January 28, 2026). "Marvel Phase 6 release dates, news, leaks, rumors, and more". Total Film . GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on February 20, 2026. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
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