Marvel has announced a release date for The Punisher: One Last Kill, its upcoming one-off special starring Jon Bernthal’s gun-toting antihero, ahead of his appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Officially titled as Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill, the hour-long episode will debut via Disney+ on May 12.
That’s the same day as the finale of Daredevil: Born Again’s eight-episode second season, which begins streaming new episodes weekly from later today — meaning that Marvel TV fans from the Netflix era have a particularly exciting eight weeks ahead.
Marvel fans last saw Jon Bernthal’s character in the first season of Daredevil: Born Again, where he rekindled his partnership with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, years after they both debuted during Marvel’s Netflix series era. The armed vigilante is now starring in his own one-off presentation — and fans who spotted the episode filming last summer have a good idea what it’ll be about.
Leaked images show Castle standing across from a dark-haired woman in a wheelchair — someone that comic book fans have instantly recognised as Isabella Carmela Magdalena “Ma” Gnucci, a mafia boss who seeks vengeance for the murder of her sons by Castle.
Gnucci is a memorable villain, whose story is as dark as you’d expect for a story featuring the Punisher. In the comics, Gnucci’s quest for revenge continues despite her being mauled by polar bears — set loose by Castle within New York City’s zoo — which left as a quadriplegic.
Fans couldn’t get a close enough glimpse at who’s playing Gnucci on set, and today’s official announcement of the series doesn’t add any further detail on casting or plot. But we have a full season of Daredevil: Born Again to go first, of course. (Just don’t expect Bernthal to turn up during that, due to scheduling issues.)
Will Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill really feature Frank Castle’s last kill? It seems unlikely. Jon Bernthal is of course set to reprise the role yet again this summer, when he pops up as an ally to Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which arrives in theaters on July 31.
Image credit: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty Images.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
