"One batch, two batch, penny and dime." Those are the words that Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle repeats to himself before relentlessly killing a criminal, and he's about to use them a lot over the coming days. 2017 marked the last time audiences watched the Punisher be the star of his own project, courtesy of the second season of his Netflix series. Nearly a decade later, he's about to steal the spotlight yet again, except this time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is just around the corner, yet many questions about it remain unanswered. So, here's everything you need to know about the upcoming Disney Plus special presentation, from its reported run time and MCU timeline placement, all the way to who the main villain will be and what this story means for Frank Castle's future.
The Punisher: One Last Kill has a length in line with previous Special Presentations
The Punisher: One Last Kill has a reported runtime of 44 minutes. According to scooper Cryptic HD Quality, who has accurately revealed plenty of Marvel / Disney Plus episodic runtimes before, it won't be the hour long presentation that was originally reported. But hey, at least this means we get close to 50-minutes of raw Punisher action.
This runtime is consistent with Marvel's previous Special Presentations. After all, Werewolf by Night clocked in at 54 minutes (including credits), while The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special came in a little shorter at 45 minutes. If the original runtime reports had held up, The Punisher: One Last Kill would have proven to be the longest Disney Plus special presentation yet.
Frank will find a new sense of purpose ahead of Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Very little is known about the story of The Punisher: One Last Kill. However, during an interview with ComicBook, Jon Bernthal gave us a small tease of what we can expect from the journey his character is about to embark on:
"The directive from day one was pretty simple: it was how do we get Frank from this place in his life where he is reeling and spiraling out of control, a man who is set on absolute vengeance, to a place where he can find some meaning, where he can find something new to fight for? But he does find a bit of purpose, and I think that is an exciting new take on the character."
Frank has always walked the path of revenge. However, it isn't far-fetched to assume this new sense of purpose will lead him to become a (very violent) protector. After all, the Punisher is confirmed to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and it has been reported by multiple sources that his role will consist of keeping a young Jean Grey safe from the reach of the Department of Damage Control.
The Punisher: One Last Kill could be all about Frank escaping the Kingpin's reach and deciding to turn a new page in his life where his kill count amounts to something other than revenge. Of course, even if he's fighting for the right cause, he'll do so with no shortage of lethal weapons. But even then, it seems we're about to see the iconic antihero try to do some good in his very own twisted way.
The Punisher: One Last Kill will take place before and during the events of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2
Going into Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, there was a lot of discourse surrounding Frank Castle's fate. Marvel confirmed the character wouldn't appear in the Man Without Fear's latest adventure. However, the last time we saw him on the small screen, he was incarcerated in Wilson Fisk's Red Hook port. That means he managed to escape off-camera, and we might be about to witness how he managed to do so.
During an interview with Variety, Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane revealed that The Punisher: One Last Kill will start before the events of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (likely showing us how The Punisher became a free man), and it will also take place during the second season of Matt Murdock's show.
"I know very well where we left him at the end of Punisher Season 2. I think this tells the story of what happened next after Punisher and before and during the events of Born Again Season 2."
It will be interesting to see Frank's perspective on the events of Born Again Season 2, especially if his upcoming special presentation acknowledges everything that happened with the Kingpin. The timeline placement could also allow for some unexpected MCU cameos, so fingers crossed that turns out to be the case.
Ma Gnucci is set to be the main antagonist
Frank Castle has faced no shortage of iconic villains on the small screen, and that list is about to get larger. During an interview on the Today Show, it was revealed that Judith Light is set to portray the infamous villain Ma Gnucci in The Punisher: One Last Kill.
In the comic book world, Ma Gnucci was the head of the Gnucci Crime Family. However, her time was short-lived as Frank Castle not only killed her sons, but also started a fire in her mansion while she was still inside. It remains to be seen if we'll see a comic-accurate version of the villain, or if Marvel has other plans in store. However, Judith Light did give us a tease of what to expect:
"This is really about transformation, and what it means to be a person who holds onto revenge"
Fortunately, it won't be long before we watch Frank Castle be judge, jury, and executioner in the MCU once more. The Punisher: One Last Kill will be released on Disney+ on May 12, 2026, at 9:00 p.m. ET.
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