Marvel is bringing Frank Castle back into the spotlight—this time with a darker, more focused story.
‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’, a new Marvel Television special starring Jon Bernthal, is officially set to premiere on Disney+ on May 12, 2026, strategically dropping the same day as the Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 finale.
Directed and co-written by Reinaldo Marcus Green (We Own This City), the special marks a major creative collaboration between Green and Bernthal, who also co-wrote the project. The pairing signals a grounded, character-driven take on the anti-hero—one that leans into both the brutality and emotional weight that define Frank Castle.
According to Marvel, the story will follow Castle as he searches for meaning beyond revenge—until something pulls him back into the fight. That push-and-pull between purpose and violence has always been central to the character, and this special looks to explore it in a more contained, impactful way.
The project is being positioned in the vein of Marvel’s previous Special Presentations like Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special—but tonally, this one is expected to be much darker.
This marks Bernthal’s continued evolution as Frank Castle, a role he first introduced in Season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil back in 2016 before leading his own series from 2017 to 2019. Since then, his version of the Punisher has remained one of the most grounded and fan-connected portrayals in Marvel’s street-level world.
Now, with Daredevil: Born Again re-establishing that corner of the MCU—alongside Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin—One Last Kill feels like a natural extension of that universe.
Behind the scenes, the special is executive produced by Bernthal, Kevin Feige, Brad Winderbaum, Louis D’Esposito, and Sana Amanat, with Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit also attached—adding another layer of prestige to the project.
And while Marvel has experimented with different formats over the years, this special feels intentional—leaning into a tighter story that prioritizes character over spectacle.
For a character like the Punisher, that might be exactly what’s needed.