In a matter of weeks, Jon Bernthal will make his grand return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to reprise his role as Frank Castle in The Punisher: One Last Kill, a new Disney+ Special Presentation. Last seen escaping the clutches of the Anti-Vigilante Task Force at the end of Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, this next outing will mark Bernthal’s first solo project since the end of his two-season The Punisher series on Netflix in 2019. Here, he will reunite with fellow Netflix star Jason M. Moore and go on an intense new adventure, which puts him in the crosshairs of a dangerous new adversary. Marvel Television released a first look at the Punisher special in early April, teasing an intense R-rated return to the MCU for Bernthal in a role he has made his own. While the story is still being kept largely under wraps, he is expected to go up against the Gnucci crime family and their leader, Ma Gnucci, as the story focuses on him trying to move past a life of vengeance before an unexpected force brings him back into a violent conflict. Some of that violence was teased in the first trailer, and more recently, a new look at the series only continued that trend. Screen Rant’s Summer 2026 TV Preview revealed a new look at Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, better known as The Punisher, in Marvel Television’s upcoming The Punisher: One Last Kill. Showing a behind-the-scenes look at the series, Bernthal stands in the middle of the street with a baseball bat in his hand, complete with blood all over his exposed arms and face. A cameraman stands close to him as extras run across the street behind him, likely teasing Frank Castle in a chaotic battle scene in which he has already taken plenty of damage.

Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in BTS look at ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill.’Marvel Television

Frank Castle is no stranger to blood and gore in the MCU, as that has been a staple of his time in the franchise since his debut in Daredevil Season 2 in 2016. This scene was also teased ever so briefly in the first trailer for One Last Kill, but no other context was offered as he stood in the middle of the New York City streets, staring at an undisclosed opponent.

Considering Frank has been absent from the MCU since Born Again Season 1, this special will likely catch fans up with what he has been doing since then, which is sure to include some violent moments against new enemies. More details about his next mission are expected to become clearer once Born Again Season 2 ends, and the show is also likely to set up his next appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is expected to tone him down violence-wise alongside the web-slinger.

Release Date

May 12, 2026

Director

Reinaldo Marcus Green

Writers

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

Cast

Frank Castle / The Punisher

Jason R. Moore

Curtis Hoyle