Heading into The Punisher: One Last Kill, the hope among fans was that it might bridge the gap between Daredevil: Born Again and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Ultimately, it does, and it doesn't.
In the former, Karen Page enlisted Frank Castle to help the Man Without Fear battle Mayor Wilson Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Task Force. While it wasn't really his fight, The Punisher wasn't happy with the dirty cops using his symbol and took the fight to them before he was outnumbered and overpowered.
A post-credits scene revealed that he escaped The Kingpin's makeshift prison, though Frank was completely absent from Season 2. The Punisher: One Last Kill doesn't directly address Daredevil: Born Again in any way, leaving us to surmise that Frank was busy dealing with the Gnucci family and his PTSD.
The latter cripples him, so it's not hugely surprising when he doesn't return to Hell's Kitchen to lend Matt Murdock a helping hand. There is at least one connection to that corner of the MCU, though, as Deborah Ann Woll makes a cameo appearance as Karen Page.
However, she's not really there and is instead among the many voices in Frank's head, berating him when he's at his lowest. Interestingly, Karen is depicted wearing his late wife's sweater, which may be telling when it comes to his feelings for her.
As for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, there's no sign of the web-slinger or Sadie Sink's mystery character. However, The Punisher has a renewed sense of purpose after choosing to protect a young girl instead of taking his revenge on Ma Gnucci.
Not only is he more committed to his mission than ever before, but Frank's wanting to protect a young woman in the upcoming movie makes more sense now.
Ultimately, this is a largely standalone tale and could even fit in nicely between The Punisher Season 2 and Daredevil: Born Again Season 1. We don't believe that's the case, but it will be interesting to see what Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green have to say about the Special Presentation's place in the MCU's timeline.
In the Special Presentation, as Frank Castle searches for meaning beyond revenge, an unexpected force pulls him back into the fight.
"Marvel meets The Raid in The Punisher: One Last Kill, a relentless, no-holds-barred exploration of grief and PTSD, and an ultra-violent, pitch-perfect take on The Punisher," we wrote in our review. "This is Jon Bernthal's magnum opus as Frank Castle."
The Punisher: One Last Kill premieres on May 12.