Disney+ Releases Marvel Television Special 'The Punisher: One Last Kill' Starring Jon Bernthal
Disney+ began streaming A Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill on May 12, bringing Jon Bernthal back as Frank Castle in a 50 minute, TV-MA special directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green.
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| Credit: Marvel |
Marvel’s official synopsis says, “As Frank Castle searches for meaning beyond revenge, an unexpected force pulls him back into the fight.”
| Detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Full title | A Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill. |
| Premiere | May 12, 2026, at 6 p.m. PT, exclusively on Disney+. |
| Runtime | 50 minutes. |
| Rating | TV-MA. |
| Director | Reinaldo Marcus Green. |
| Writers | Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green. |
| Executive producers | Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Sana Amanat, Jon Bernthal, Reinaldo Marcus Green. |
| Co-executive producer | Trevor Waterson. |
| Supervising producer | Eleena Khamedoost. |
| Starring | Jon Bernthal. |
| Supporting villain | Judith Light as Ma Gnucci. |
| Genres | Super Heroes, Action and Adventure, Thriller, Crime. |
| Viewer warning | Some flashing lights sequences or patterns may affect photosensitive viewers. |
Marvel first put the title out on March 24, after Bernthal posted a teaser poster on Instagram, then followed with a trailer on April 9. The company used the rollout to position the special as a continuation of Frank Castle’s recent MCU run after Daredevil: Born Again. Marvel’s own article says Bernthal has played the Punisher for a decade, starting with Daredevil in 2016, then two seasons of his Netflix series, then Daredevil: Born Again.
The cast includes several returning performers from prior Punisher and Daredevil projects. Deborah Ann Woll reprises her role as Karen Page, appearing as a hallucination. Jason R. Moore returns as Curtis Hoyle, also in a hallucinatory capacity. Judith Light joins as Ma Gnucci, the matriarch of the Gnucci Crime Family seeking revenge against Castle.
Additional cast members include Andre Royo as shopkeeper Dre, Mila Jaymes as his daughter Charli, and veterans such as Nick Koumalatsos and Colton Hill in roles tied to Castle's military past.
Bernthal told Marvel he wanted the special to land beyond comic book fans, saying, “I hope it’s inspiring to people,” and adding that he hopes “it honors the veterans’ community” and “the comic book fans that love Frank so much.” Green, who directed and co-wrote the special with Bernthal, said Bernthal showed up to their first meeting looking “essentially as the Punisher then,” a line Marvel used to underline how closely the actor shaped the project.
Plot details from the special, drawn from public summaries and early coverage, show Castle completing vengeance against remaining Gnucci family members before trying to retire his Punisher identity. Living in a Little Sicily apartment complex amid rising crime, he experiences hallucinations of his deceased family, Curtis Hoyle, and Karen Page. Ma Gnucci places a bounty on him, leading to an assault on the building.
Castle ultimately protects innocent residents, including Dre's family, before reclaiming his mantle with a renewed sense of purpose. The story positions these events as concurrent with elements of "Daredevil: Born Again" Season 2.
The project fits into Marvel's Special Presentation format, similar to previous one-off stories. It arrives as part of the broader Phase Six slate and serves as a bridge for Castle's future MCU appearances,
The special also sets Frank Castle on a path that Marvel says will continue in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which Bernthal says opens in theaters on July 31. Marvel’s article says Frank is in a dark place after years of violence, while the Disney+ page frames the story as a hunt for meaning after revenge.
Audio complaints shadow the launch
Within hours of release, Disney+ viewers began reporting missing or muffled audio, and the Disney Plus Help account replied that “our team knows about this particular issue and is working on a solution as we speak.”
Trade reports said the criticism also spread to a rooftop fall shot that many viewers described as unfinished, though later reporting said the scene was practical, with Bernthal starting the fall and a stuntman taking over for the impact, then a face swap used to match the character.
Disney has not given a public timetable for a fix, which leaves the next question open around whether the streamer will patch the audio quietly or roll out a broader update before Frank Castle’s next MCU stop in July.
