Frank Castle returns in a fast-paced, violent short story that is vintage Punisher
Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for The Punisher: One Last Kill
When Disney announced a May 2026 Punisher One-Shot, it really had to commit to two evolving trends in their Marvel programming. First, the return of Daredevil/Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again already brought Frank Castle/The Punisher back with full brutality. Born Again brilliantly stays true to the original Netflix Daredevil series, including perfectly casted characters, tense writing, and the best stunt work on television. The Punisher: One Last Kill maintains and ramps up the violence with Frank in much dire straits.
In addition to the stunts and violence, the Disney+ Marvel shows have steered clear of the multiverse, galaxy-jumping stories of the movies. Instead, the shows have framed much more of the street level, grounded storylines. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, The Punisher, Luke Cage and Iron Fist all stay at that scale.
Matt Murdock has already appeared in the movies, but only as his lawyer identity, not as Daredevil. Now The Punisher is set to debut in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day film. It will be interesting to see where he fits in, especially after the brutality, trauma, and vulgarity that is featured throughout One Last Kill.
Several actors have played The Punisher in movies and television projects including Dolph Lundgren, Vinnie Jones, and Thomas Jane. However, it is almost the universal opinion that Jon Bernthal was born to play this role. He is never afraid to explore Frank’s darkest moments and the white-hot rage that it induces. He also approaches the role with plenty of research and reverence.
In the first act, Frank is at rock bottom. His loneliness is pressing the walls against his sanity and willingness to survive. He is apathetic to the violence and criminality around him. At his lowest, he visits the graves of his wife and children, ready to end it all. The voice of his daughter (Jon’s daughter Addie Bernthal) provides enough light for him to keep going.
Opposite Bernthal in One Last Kill are almost endless masked bounty hunters. Kudos to Eric Linden, who has been Bernthal’s stunt double in The Punisher shows, Daredevil, The Accountant, and Those Who Wish Me Dead (among his 165+ stunt credits on IMDB.) Deborah Ann Woll cameos as Karen Page, Frank’s anchor to empathy and humanity during the Netflix run.
Surprisingly sinister is Judith Light, who plays Isabella “Ma” Gnucchi, who sets the action in motion. She tells Frank a story, which is a checklist of her family members who he has killed. Her husband and her three sons all died at Frank’s hands. She provides an ultimatum. At the time of her youngest son’s death, she is going to announce the bounty on his head and his location. Anyone else caught in the crossfire is just collateral damage.
The following act is similar to Pete Travis’ 2012 Dredd with Karl Urban, or Gareth Edwards’ The Raid series. The hero needs to escape a villain-ordered containment by any (violent) means necessary.
One Last Kill has a solid and well-written three act format that introduces a horrific situation and provides retribution in its finale. Bernthal is front-and-center and is every bit the version of The Punisher that fans long to see. The 51-minute run time is appropriate for the show’s pacing. Fans who have never seen an earlier iteration of Bernthal’s Castle don’t need to. However, there are some very special cast members and lines of dialogue that longtime fans will appreciate.
The special is a perfect return to form for the character and titular actor. It continues the violent, gritty, and vulgar nature of the Disney+ Marvel shows, and explores Frank Castle deeper than earlier iterations.
One Last Kill is now streaming on Disney+.