Marvel has released the first trailer for The Punisher: One Last Kill, a television special that brings Jon Bernthal back as Frank Castle on Disney+.
The story picks up with Castle attempting to move past a life defined by vengeance. The official description notes that he searches for meaning beyond revenge, only to be drawn back into conflict by an unexpected force. The trailer depicts him in a raw, isolated state, grappling with memories of his family’s murder and the personal toll of his actions.
Early scenes show Frank in what appears to be a confined or monitored setting, surrounded by guards, while his old friend Curtis Hoyle, played by Jason R. Moore, tries to reach him. Hoyle’s appearances have an ambiguous, almost hallucinatory quality, echoing the emotional weight carried over from the earlier Netflix series. Flashbacks revisit the tragedy that turned Castle into the Punisher, including images of his young daughter and a quiet moment at her grave, where he leaves a red flower and a watch.
The tone shifts quickly into familiar territory. Castle moves through a series of brutal action sequences, using firearms and physical force against opponents, leaping from buildings, and clearing paths with unrelenting intensity. The trailer ends with him standing outside Gnucci’s Restaurant in full Punisher attire, complete with the signature skull vest. That detail has led many to expect the involvement of Ma Gnucci, the ruthless head of a New York crime family from the comics.
In the source material, particularly Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s “Welcome Back, Frank” run, Ma Gnucci emerges as a formidable adversary after Castle targets her sons. Operating from a position of power despite being in a wheelchair, she brings the full resources of her organization against him in one of the more chaotic and violent arcs in the character’s history. Whether the special adapts that storyline directly or borrows elements remains unclear, as Marvel has shared few plot specifics.
Bernthal first portrayed Castle in the Netflix Daredevil series before starring in two seasons of The Punisher. Moore returns as Curtis Hoyle, providing continuity. Reinaldo Marcus Green directs the special and co-wrote the script with Bernthal, who also serves as an executive producer. The project carries a grounded, adult tone consistent with the character’s earlier live-action outings.
The Punisher: One Last Kill premieres on Disney+ on May 12, 2026, at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET. It arrives one week after the season-two finale of Daredevil: Born Again. Later in the year, Castle is expected to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the Marvel-Sony collaboration set for July 31, 2026, though the extent of his role is unknown.
For longtime followers of the character, the trailer suggests a story that balances Frank’s internal struggle with the uncompromising violence that defines him. How the special handles themes of trauma, retribution, and any potential endpoint for Castle’s war will become clearer once it streams. In the broader Marvel landscape, it offers another standalone piece focused on a street-level figure whose methods have always sat uneasily alongside traditional heroes.
