Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Punisher: One Last Kill.Jon Bernthal has finally brought the Punisher to the MCU with The Punisher: One Last Kill, and it’s a major shift from everything that came before. The Punisher: One Last Kill is a Marvel Special Presentation that follows Frank Castle in the wake of his killing spree, where he has meticulously eliminated every person who had anything to do with the death of his wife and children.

Having taken down every single person on his list, Frank Castle is forced to confront his own demons and struggle with the darkness that has taken over his life, which has left him unable to see any purpose in his life. In response to this, the special sees Frank deal with a pivotal moment that will shape his MCU future for years to come.

Jon Bernthal Has Been Playing Frank Castle Since 2016

Jon Bernthal has been tackling the role of Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, since 2016, when he debuted as the character in the Marvel Netflix series, Daredevil. Since then, he has crossed paths with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page several times, in addition to starring in his own spin-off Netflix series, The Punisher, for two seasons.

On top of this, he had his official MCU debut in 2025, when Bernthal reprised the role of Frank Castle for Daredevil: Born Again, and once again helped Karen Page in a moment of need. Despite all of these appearances and the incredible talent and suitability of Bernthal as The Punisher, these various appearances have lacked a core aspect of the character that was only fully embraced in the final moments of The Punisher: One Last Kill.

The Punisher: One Last Kill Finally Sees Frank Embrace The Punisher

After the trauma and torture that Frank endures in the first half of The Punisher: One Last Kill, he is faced with a significant challenge when Ma Gnucci, the widow and mother of several of Frank’s targets, sets an entire city block on Frank in an effort to kill the notorious Punisher.

Of course, Frank Castle’s incredibly refined skills and years of experience in dealing with high-ranking criminals, superhuman vigilantes, and elite fighters of every sort sees him over prepared to deal with a conflict against a bunch of thugs and common thieves, but it does open the door for Frank to have a defining moment as he chooses to save a young girl and her father from an attack instead of pursuing Ma Gnucci at her most vulnerable.

This then leads to Frank having a sort of rebirth, where he embraces his role as a protector and someone who is capable of delivering justice and punishments for others who have been wronged, and is reinforced in the ending of the special when Frank Castle, in full Punisher garb, catches and kills a thug who killed an unhoused man’s dog earlier in the The Punisher: One Last Kill.

The Punisher’s Story Is Just Beginning In The MCU

As much as The Punisher has been present in various stories for a decade now, as played by Jon Bernthal, this special feels like the first time Frank Castle leaves behind his vendetta, and finally takes up the mantle of The Punisher that others have attributed to him for years.

And in all honesty, this is the version of the character that fans of the comics have fallen in love with. Not just a person who seeks his own justice, but an anti-hero who stands up to protect anyone in need. In this way, this is truly the moment that Frank Castle becomes The Punisher, and it’s an exciting development for his MCU future.

Especially with the character set to appear again, a few short months after The Punisher: One Last Kill, when he returns in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Hopefully, this is just the beginning for the character as he steps up in the MCU and takes the fight to the streets.

Release Date

May 12, 2026

Runtime

60 Minutes

Director

Reinaldo Marcus Green

Writers

Reinaldo Marcus Green, Ross Andru, Jon Bernthal, Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr.

Franchise(s)

The Punisher