Marvel Television just released the first trailer for The Punisher: One Last Kill, and it’s just as intense as you’d expect from a character who’s never been particularly interested in playing it safe.
Jon Bernthal returns as Frank Castle on Disney+ this month, and based on what the trailer shows, he has a big role to play in this film.
The official synopsis describes Frank as someone “searching for meaning beyond revenge when an unexpected force draws him back into battle.” That’s about as much as Marvel is giving away for now.
Punisher: One Last Kill trailer breakdown hints at main villain reveal
The trailer opens with Frank in a raw, vulnerable state, clearly struggling with his past. His old friend Curtis Hoyle appears and tries to get Frank to open up about what’s going on in his life.
The way Curtis pops in and out of the scene leaves his exact status a little unclear, even though he survived the events of the Netflix Punisher series and is presumably still alive.
Frank is depicted in isolation, seemingly sitting in a lockdown situation and surrounded by guards, suggesting that he is in custody or under surveillance at some point in the story.
The trailer then cuts through a series of intense moments. Flashbacks show Frank’s young daughter in her family home, revisiting the tragedy that led to his transformation into the Punisher in the first place.
There’s also a shot of Frank leaving a red flower at a grave marked for Lisa Barbara, his daughter, while a clock rests on the stone next to it. These are the first glimpses of Frank’s family in years in this version of the character’s story. Curtis’ voiceover interrupts all this with a blunt warning, telling Frank that he has no chance with what lies ahead.
From there, the trailer goes into full Punisher mode. Frank tears through his enemies using powerful weapons and sheer physical force, jumping from buildings and shooting his way through anyone who stands in his way.
The trailer’s final image is the one fans have been waiting for. Frank stands in front of a place called Gnucci’s Restaurant in full Punisher gear and skull vest. This little detail is no coincidence, as the villain in Punisher: One Last Kill is most likely Ma Gnucci.
Who is Ma Gnucci in the Punisher comics?
For those not interested in Punisher comics, Ma Gnucci is one of Frank Castle’s most memorable opponents. In the comics, she is the ruthless head of the Gnucci crime family, a powerful organized crime figure operating out of New York City.
After Frank kills her sons, she declares total war on him and what follows is one of the most chaotic and violent storylines in Punisher history. It is also noteworthy that she is depicted in a wheelchair, which makes her physically vulnerable but in no way diminishes her danger.
Her willingness to throw the full force of her criminal empire on Frank makes her a credible and personal threat. At the time of writing, no actor has been assigned the role, but the Gnucci’s Restaurant sign in the final shot of the trailer makes their involvement seem almost certain.
Who is in the cast of Punisher: One Last Kill?
Jon Bernthal leads the special as Frank Castle, a role he first took on in the Netflix series Daredevil before landing his own two-season Punisher show. At his side, Jason R. Moore returns as Curtis Hoyle, Frank’s closest friend and former US Navy member.
Curtis appeared in both seasons of the original Netflix series Punisher, and his return here provides important emotional continuity to the story. The special program is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, who wrote the script together with Bernthal himself. Jon Bernthal also serves as executive producer on the project.
When will Punisher: One Last Kill be released on Disney+?
The Punisher: One Last Kill will debut on Disney+ on May 12, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. PT and 9:00 p.m. ET. The special presentation arrives a week after the second season finale of Daredevil: Born Again.
This isn’t the last you’ll see of Frank Castle this year. The Punisher is scheduled to appear on July 31, 2026 in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the collaboration between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures.
It is still unknown whether Frank will play a leading role or appear as a supporting actor in Spider-Man BND. But the idea of the Punisher and Spider-Man being in the same story is really exciting, and after seeing what One Last Kill seems to do, I’m really looking forward to finding out.
