Punisher: One Last Kill is Marvel Studios' next major release following the finale of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, and its place on the wider MCU timeline has just been revealed. Jon Bernthal is a busy man at Marvel Studios these days following his return as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, which itself is a continuation of his role from the Marvel Netflix saga. Next up, he'll appear in his solo Punisher project on May 12 and reprise his role again in Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31.
With so many interwoven MCU projects releasing in a short time, many are wondering where The Punisher: One Last Kill fits into Castle's overall story. Daredevil: Born Again showrunner and executive producer on Netflix's The Punisher, Dario Scardapane, may have revealed the answer in an interview with Variety. Scardapane revealed he believes Punisher: One Last Kill fills in the blanks "after The Punisher" and "before and during the events of [Daredevil: Born Again] Season 2:"
"I don’t know a ton about what goes on in 'Brand New Day,' and 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."
The second season of The Punisher left Frank Castle emotionally bruised and physically battered, but alive, and continuing to operate under his Punisher moniker. Several years have passed since the end of the Netflix Marvel shows and the revival, Daredevil: Born Again, but it's unclear what the Punisher was doing during that time.
Castle then made his Marvel Studios debut in a few episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, where he arrived to help Daredevil as a favor to Karen Page, and went after the Anti-Vigilante Task Force for abusing his Punisher symbol. He was arrested in the Season 1 finale but managed to escape, and now many have been wondering what he's been up to during his absence from Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.
It appears The Punisher: One Last Kill will address these gaps in Frank Castle's life, revealing what he was up to before Daredevil: Born Again, and what kept him away from appearing in this latest season.
The plot of The Punisher reboot has remained under wraps, but the special's trailers have revealed another violent undertaking for Bernthal's R-rated antihero. The synopsis reveals that Castle has been trying to live a life without revenge, only to be dragged back into the conflict. This conflict seems tied to Ma Gnucci, the MCU's very own Carmine Falcone figure, and the head of a mafia-like family in New York City.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is written by Jon Bernthal and Reinaldo Marcus Green, directed by Green, and starring Bernthal. It releases on Disney+ on May 12, 2026.
What Punisher: One Last Kill's Timeline Placement Means For Frank Castle
During the Netflix Marvel era, The Punisher avoided mentioning the wider MCU, but since Marvel Studios began producing the Defenders projects, the characters have become unavoidably tied to the comic book universe. While The Punisher: One Last Kill is a solo Frank Castle adventure, the wider MCU may still have implications for its events.
Both timeline placement and the physical proximity of Punisher and Daredevil to events in New York City mean these titles now have to be extra careful not to break MCU canon. The impact of projects like Thunderbolts* was apparent, even subtle, in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, and it will be interesting to see how The Punisher: One Last Kill handles its connections to the wider MCU, particularly following the civil uprising in NYC depicted in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.
While Scardapane couldn't speak to the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that is the Punisher's next confirmed appearance, so it's logical to think that Punisher: One Last Kill might set Frank Castle up in some way for his next role. With Punisher dealing with the Gnuccis, and the Hand appearing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it seems the two Marvel characters could connect over their attempts to quash the New York City crime underworld.
