Jon Bernthal returns to unleash chaos as Frank Castle in the first trailer for the Marvel television special The Punisher: One Last Kill. The brutal vigilante is back in full force, delivering his signature brand of relentless violence and vengeance. The special is scheduled to debut on Disney Plus on May 12, arriving just one week after the Season 2 finale of Daredevil: Born Again.
Bernthal originally stepped into the role of Frank Castle – better known as the Punisher – during Season 2 of Daredevil. His introduction brought one of Marvel’s most ruthless anti-heroes into the story, creating a tense dynamic with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. Castle quickly proved to be both an uneasy ally and a dangerous adversary.
True to his comic-book origins, Frank Castle is a former Marine whose life is shattered when his wife and children are brutally murdered. The tragedy drives him down a dark path of vengeance, transforming him into a relentless vigilante. Clad in black tactical gear marked by the Punisher’s iconic white skull emblem, Castle wages a one-man war on crime, eliminating his enemies with ruthless efficiency.
Following his explosive debut in Daredevil, Bernthal went on to lead his own series, The Punisher, which ran for two seasons on Netflix. The show became part of Marvel’s lineup of street-level superhero series that included Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the crossover event The Defenders. Eventually, Marvel shifted these shows to Disney+ as the characters were gradually integrated into the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Charlie Cox’s Daredevil was the first of the Netflix heroes to officially cross into the MCU timeline, appearing in a cameo role in Spider-Man: No Way Home before continuing his story in Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+. Bernthal reprised his role as the Punisher during the first season of Born Again, where he teamed up with Daredevil to battle the powerful crime boss Wilson Fisk, played by Vincent D’Onofrio. By that point, Fisk had risen to political power as the mayor of New York City. The season ended with Castle being captured by the mayor’s newly empowered police force, though the post-credits scene revealed that the Punisher had already found a way to escape.
Now, the story continues in The Punisher: One Last Kill, which promises to dive deeper into Castle’s brutal crusade against crime. Bernthal’s version of the character has become a fan favorite thanks to his intense performance and the gritty realism he brings to the role. Beyond this Disney Plus special, Castle’s journey in the MCU is far from over — Bernthal is also set to appear in the upcoming movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day later this summer.
The newly released trailer offers a glimpse of the destruction Castle leaves in his wake, hinting that this next chapter will push the Punisher further into the darkness as he continues his relentless pursuit of justice.