The Punisher: One Last Kill trailer brings Jon Bernthal back to Disney+ in May

The Punisher: One Last Kill will premiere on Disney+ on 12 May 2026, marking the first solo outing for Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle since his Netflix tenure. The special presentation arrives exactly one week after the season two finale of Daredevil: Born Again, serving as a psychological bridge before the character moves into the cinema this summer.

The first trailer, released this week, confirms a shift towards a more introspective and brutal tone than previous entries. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green—who previously collaborated with Bernthal on King Richard and We Own This City—the special features a screenplay co-written by the director and Bernthal himself. This marks the actor’s first writing credit for the character he has played since 2016.

The official teaser poster for The Punisher: One Last Kill, featuring a battle-worn Frank Castle.

Official art: Jon Bernthal returns as Frank Castle in the new Disney+ special.

The footage depicts a Frank Castle struggling with hallucinations and searching for meaning beyond the cycle of revenge. Jason R. Moore returns as Curtis Hoyle, appearing in the trailer as a manifestation of Frank’s fractured psyche rather than a living ally. The cast also includes Mila Jaymes and Roe Rancell, with the plot reportedly involving the Gnucci crime family—a staple of the character’s most celebrated comic book runs.

This one-off event is the third Marvel Television Special Presentation, following the format established by Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. It is designed to sit concurrently with the events of Born Again and sets the stage for Frank’s appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which arrives in theatres in July.

Bernthal has previously stated that this version of the character will not be ‘Punisher-lite’, promising a return to the R-rated grit that defined his earlier appearances. The trailer supports this, showcasing several high-intensity sequences including a moment where Frank appears to be engulfed in flames during a psychological descent.

A still from the trailer showing Frank Castle engulfed in flames during a psychological sequence.

Trailer still: The new special explores the psychological toll of Frank Castle’s war on crime.

The special effectively closes the gap between the character’s street-level origins on Netflix and his integration into the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe. While his role in Daredevil: Born Again season one ended with his escape from custody, One Last Kill appears to focus on the internal cost of his continued crusade.

The Punisher: One Last Kill streams on Disney+ from 12 May.