The Punisher: One Last Kill hits Disney+ tomorrow, and Marvel Television has released a couple of new posters highlighting Frank Castle's (Jon Bernthal) return to the MCU.
The TV-MA-rated Special Presentation will focus on the ruthless "Ma" Gnucci seeking revenge on Castle for the death of her criminal family members. We're not sure if there will be much more to the story, but fans are very curious to see whether the 49-minute Special will connect to season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, or set up the Punisher's role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Bernthal recently explained how One Last Kill will take inspiration from Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's "Welcome Back, Frank" comic book arc.
"What Garth Ennis does with Frank is something I’ve tried to understand as an actor and now as a writer myself. Ennis doesn’t apologize for Frank. He subverts the hero genre by being comfortable with the ugly and gray side of heroism, finding truth in the sordid dust of desperation and anger. Welcome Back, Frank doesn’t ask you to love Frank — it asks you to look at him clearly, without flinching. It asks you to see Frank in all his gruesome glory and then find that same primal motivation within yourself so you can go on that journey with him.
Ennis evokes that side of you that wants to go as far as Frank does for what you believe in. It’s an exploration and journey of honesty. That honesty was my north star when writing and producing Marvel Television’s upcoming Punisher special. I got to try my hand at not just embodying Frank again, but also creating my own chapter in his journey. Ennis and Steve Dillon gave us a character with clarity of purpose and absolute commitment, someone who channels loss into action with brutal honesty. That ferocity and vulnerability is what makes Frank endure. It’s what I hope to bring to every version of him, whether I’m embodying him on screen or writing him on the page. I’m grateful to everyone who created this character and gave me the opportunity to play him. Bringing Frank Castle to life has been one of the great honors of my career, not because of what it’s done for me, but because of what this character means to so many people."
Bernthal also co-wrote the script with his We Own This City director Reinaldo Marcus Green, who also helmed the Special.
"It's like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story," Marvel TV's Brad Winderbaum said in a recent interview. "It's so exciting."
Winderbaum also revealed that the idea for a Punisher standalone story manifested during production on Born Again.
"Bernthal is a generational actor," Winderbaum added. "He's incredible what he brings to all the roles he plays, but particularly Frank Castle. And he's a great writer. He knows the character inside and out.... Also, I love Punisher, but I love Jon's Punisher in particular. The idea that he's in the MCU and can bring that to the greater universe, especially the more grounded street-level stuff, is a huge opportunity and, as a fan, the greatest thing ever."