Jon Bernthal makes his triumphant return as Frank Castle in new Marvel special The Punisher: One Last Kill. Telling a standalone story, it acts as a reintroduction of the Defenders character, now that the superheroes have made the jump from their Netflix universe into the MCU.
The TV special kicks off with Frank trying to leave his life as a vigilante behind as demons from his past continue to haunt him. However, he soon finds himself thrust back into the world of crimefighting when he becomes a target of the Gnucci family.
Despite being self-contained, this isn't just an individual story for Bernthal's ultra-violent character. It takes place at a crucial moment on the MCU timeline and has links to some major future projects. So if you're wondering how exactly it slots in, read on for our complete breakdown below.
When is Punisher: One Last Kill set on the Marvel timeline? *SPOILERS*
It's not explicitly mentioned in the special when Punisher: One Last Kill takes place on the Marvel timeline, but Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane recently confirmed that it happens "before and during" the events of season 2 of that show.
"I don’t know a ton about what goes on in Brand New Day, and I know very well where we left him at the end of Punisher Season 2," he told Variety. "I think this tells the story of what happened next after Punisher and before and during the events of [Born Again] Season 2."
This means it takes place after Frank Castle escaped from Wilson Fisk's vigilante prison at the end of season 1 of Born Again. It makes sense as a timeline point as when the special begins, there are riots going on in Hell's Kitchen, as we saw in Born Again season 2.
However, Frank's story is limited to Little Sicily and characters don't cross over between the projects. Karen Page does appear as a cameo, but she is just a figment of Frank's imagination here.
Punisher: One Last Kill also takes place before the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. We know that Frank appears in that upcoming movie, and we've seen him in action in the trailer in his full Punisher regalia, which is how we leave him at the end of this special. As we know, Brand New Day is the last project releasing before Avengers: Doomsday.
Is Punisher: One Last Kill related to the Netflix show?
Just like Daredevil: Born Again, The Punisher: One Last Kill takes place after the events of the Netflix series that Frank Castle appeared in. There are some linking factors, including Frank's origin story, which we see a bit more of again here, as well as actors like Deborah Ann Woll returning as Karen Page.
However, you don't need to have seen the Netflix shows to understand what's going on here. This 45-minute special acts as a neat reintroduction to The Punisher, giving him more room to battle his demons than in his brief appearance in Daredevil: Born Again season 1.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is on Disney Plus now. For more on the MCU, here's a list of all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows you need to know about.
