The most brutal character in the Marvel universe gets his Disney+ special on May 12. Jon Bernthal's Punisher is haunted, dangerous, and connected to both Born Again Season 2 and the upcoming Spider-Man film.
The skull logo is back, and so is the man behind it. Marvel dropped the first full trailer for The Punisher: One Last Kill on April 9, confirming what fans of the character have been waiting years to hear — Jon Bernthal's definitive portrayal of Frank Castle is not only returning but expanding across the Marvel Cinematic Universe in ways the Netflix era never allowed. The Disney+ special presentation, premiering May 12, follows Castle as he attempts to build a life without violence, only to be dragged back into an unexpected conflict that forces him to confront both his past and the ghost of his friend Curtis Hoyle, played by Jason R. Moore reprising his role from the original Netflix series. Written and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, with Bernthal serving as co-writer and executive producer, the special represents the most creatively ambitious Punisher project to date.
What sets One Last Kill apart from previous Punisher adaptations is its position in the broader MCU timeline. The events of the special run concurrent with Born Again Season 2, meaning the Punisher story is no longer a standalone narrative but an active thread in the larger Marvel tapestry. More significantly, Bernthal confirmed that he filmed his scenes for the upcoming MCU film Spider-Man: Brand New Day after completing the special, and that it was important to him that both portrayals feel like the same character. This marks the first time the Punisher has crossed from the television side of Marvel into a major theatrical release — a move that signals Marvel Studios' confidence in Bernthal's version of Castle as a character who can hold screen alongside the franchise's biggest names. The trailer itself is vintage Bernthal — brooding, intense, and punctuated by bursts of controlled violence that walk the line between hero and anti-hero.
The creative choice to frame this as a special presentation rather than a full series is deliberate. Marvel has used the format successfully with Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, both of which were praised for their tighter storytelling compared to the sometimes bloated multi-episode Disney+ series. For a character as focused and singular as the Punisher, the format makes sense — Frank Castle does not need six episodes of setup to make an impact. He needs a target, a reason, and enough ammunition. The score is being composed by Kris Bowers, the Oscar-nominated composer behind The Color Purple and Green Book, adding a layer of emotional sophistication to what could easily have been a straightforward action piece. Fans of Bernthal's Netflix Punisher — widely considered the definitive live-action version of the character — have reason to be cautiously optimistic. One Last Kill appears to honour what made that series work while giving Castle a new purpose within the MCU. May 12 cannot come soon enough.