The Punisher: One Last Kill has shot onto screens, not a week after the finale of Daredevil: Born Again season 2, almost like there was one bullet left in the chamber.
Featuring the return of Jon Bernthal's gun-toting vigilante, the 46-minute Marvel Special Presentation is a standalone short story about a very bad day in the life of Frank Castle, as his psychological and corporeal demons come back to haunt him. It also bridges the gap between Castle's appearances in Daredevil: Born Again season 1 and the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, so is essential viewing ahead of this summer's webslinging blockbuster.
Below, we'll run through The Punisher: One Last Kill's reviews, release date, cast, trailer, and more. But beware: full spoilers follow, so turn back if you've yet to see The Punisher: One Last Kill. Or if it's an even deeper dive you're after, there's also our Punisher: One Last Kill ending explained waiting for you.
The Punisher: One Last Kill reviews
The Punisher: One Last Kill reviews are generally positive, with the Special Presentation sitting on a fresh 85% Rotten Tomatoes rating. In contrast, seasons 1 and 2 of The Punisher show on Netflix hit 68% and 61% respectively, so a big step up on paper!
Rotten Tomatoes, of course, is a blunt instrument, and the actual reviews are a little more nuanced. GamesRadar+'s own 3* Punisher: One Last Kill review, for example, paints a mixed picture: "While the first act lingers too long in the ruins of Frank's old life, once the villains show up, it turns into a lot of guns-blazing fun. It doesn't offer anything new, but should tide fans over until Spider-Man: Brand New Day."
Most critics are in agreement that One Last Kill doesn't have a great deal new to say, after two thematically similar seasons of a Punisher standalone show. "The Punisher: One Last Kill doesn’t do anything particularly new with Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle," says IGN. "But it strips down the Netflix series’ formula into a lean, mean, and entertaining short story."
The connections (or lack thereof) to Spider-Man: Brand New Day are also rubbing critics up the wrong way. "The Punisher would’ve fared better if it had a shot (pun intended) in a theatrical setting and under his own spotlight, rather than waiting to exist in the shadow of our friendly neighborhood web-slinger," says RogerEbert.com.
The Punisher: One Last Kill release date
The Punisher: One Last Kill was released on May 12, 2026.
The Daredevil: Born Again season 2 release schedule was even shifted to make way for Frank, with the season finale moved up to May 5. Releasing so close to season 2 makes sense, as Daredevil showrunner Dario Scardapane revealed that The Punisher: One Last Kill is set "before and during" the events of Born Again season 2.
The Punisher: One Last Kill trailer
Following a fleeting teaser a few days prior, the first full trailer for The Punisher: One Last Kill was released on April 9, 2026, just over a month before the Special Presentation's May 12 release.
The trailer, which you can watch above, gives a pretty clear sense of what to expect from the special... so much so that it even features the special's final shot. Marvel also released a poster to go along with the first look.
The Punisher: One Last Kill cast
The Punisher: One Last Kill has surprisingly few returning cast members from the Netflix shows, or the wider Defenders-verse. Jon Bernthal, of course, returns as Frank Castle/The Punisher. Jason R. Moore also reprises Frank's trusted friend Curtis Hoyle, but only via hallucinations and flashbacks. And the special features one noteworthy cameo: Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), who also appears as a figment of Frank's imagination.
The full list of confirmed cast members is below:
- Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher
- Jason R. Moore as Curtis Hoyle
- Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page
- Judith Light as Ma Gnucci
- Andre Royo as Dre
- Kelli Barrett as Maria Castle
- Mila Jaymes as Charlie
- Addie Bernthal as Lisa Castle
The Punisher: One Last Kill plot
Clocking in at a breezy 46 minutes (including credits), The Punisher: One Last Kill is much closer to an episode of TV than a TV movie, in terms of the ground covered.
Set after his escape from Fisk's dungeon at the end of Daredevil: Born Again season 1, Frank Castle is at something of a low point – which is really saying something. Haunted by ghosts and hallucinations, Frank decides to lock the Punisher away (literally, he stuffs his many guns into a bag) and visits his family's graves one last time, before almost pulling the trigger and ending his own life.
Frank is pulled back from the brink by a vision of his daughter, Lisa and returns home... where Ma Gnucci is waiting. She confronts him with the news that, not only does she know he is responsible for murdering her family, she knows where he lives, and at 6:47 pm (the same time her son was assassinated by Frank), she'll reveal to everyone out for the price on his head where Frank can be found.
A still despondent Frank doesn't even react to this rather shocking news, and continues to be tormented by a vision of Karen Page in his apartment. Eventually, however, imaginary Karen helps snap Frank out of his funk just as an army of would-be assassins arrive at his doorstep.
After his legs are set on fire (another normal day for Frank Castle), the next 15-or-so minutes are dedicated to Frank shooting, stabbing and snapping his way through dozens of criminals out for his head. Eventually, Frank makes his way down to ground level (let's just say he doesn't take the stairs) and sees Ma Gnucci in the process of getting in her getaway vehicle, which at the same time, the family who run the local deli are under siege.
Frank now has a choice: pursue bloody vengeance, or turn his back on revenge and save innocents in need. Thanks in part to young Charli's cries echoing around Frank's head in an eerily similar fashion to his dead daughter, Lisa, Frank chooses option b, saving Charli and her family by dispatching everyone in the deli in ultraviolent fashion. Charli thanks Frank for saving them by giving him a crafted flower.
The police and paramedics descend, and the remaining criminals disperse. Frank returns again to his family's graves and notes his conviction that Lisa was there with him today as he chose protecting the innocent over cycles of violence. Frank has a new mission: protect those in need. The special ends with Frank back in full Punisher garb, keeping the streets safe by shooting a dog-murderer in the head. A just punishment, if you ask us.
For more from the MCU, check our our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order, or look ahead with our full list of upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way.
