The Punisher is one of the most brutal and controversial characters in the MCU, which automatically makes him a fan-favorite. He was a recurring figure in the Netflix Defenders saga era, appearing in Daredevil and his own solo series. He returned in Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again, and fans have been itching to see him feature in his own solo project.
Fans of Frank Castle finally got their wish when it became public knowledge that Jon Bernthal's character will appear in a special on Disney+. However, it took some time for the project's official name to be finally revealed. The actor disclosed on Instagram on March 24 that the special would be titled The Punisher: One Last Kill and would stream exclusively on Disney+ on May 12.
The announcement came bundled with a black-and-white teaser poster, a confirmed runtime of 60 minutes, and a release date that puts just 49 days between the title reveal and the premiere. This gap is shorter than any MCU project before it. The special officially wrote its name in the MCU history books thanks to this development.
The project is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Bernthal himself. Green and Bernthal previously collaborated on King Richard and the miniseries We Own This City, so this is a reunion for the two creatives.
One Last Kill follows Frank Castle searching for meaning beyond revenge, only for an unexpected force to pull him back into violence. Set photos taken during the New York shoot revealed signage for Gnucci's Restaurant, strongly suggesting the introduction of Ma Gnucci. She is the ruthless matriarch of the Gnucci crime family, whose brutal war with Castle in Garth Ennis's comic run remains one of the most notorious arcs in Punisher history. This R-rated story promises to be as brutal as we can imagine.
Other MCU Projects Whose Titles Were Revealed Shortly Before Release
Spider-Man: No Way Home
If there's one thing Spider-Man: No Way Home taught fans of the MCU, it's patience. On February 23, 2021, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon coordinated a deliberately chaotic social media reveal, each posting a fake title for the film before the trio confirmed the title in a video Holland shared.
The film’s multiverse premise had been quietly building for some time, but Marvel kept the actual name under wraps for as long as possible. Many would recall the sheer drama that surrounded this release and the number of theories that flew around before it hit theatres.
The film was released in the US on December 17, 2021, 295 days after the title dropped. It became the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time globally and the first pandemic-era film to cross a billion at the domestic box office.
Deadpool & Wolverine
The title Deadpool & Wolverine arrived exactly the way it should, appearing in a Super Bowl ad. On February 11, 2024, Marvel dropped the teaser during Super Bowl LVIII, officially renaming what fans had been calling Deadpool 3 and confirming Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine alongside Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson. Shawn Levy directed the film, which was the only MCU theatrical release of 2024.
The film opened on July 26, 2024, 166 days after the title was locked in. It became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, earning over 1.3 billion globally. The movie was a standout amid a highly disappointing Phase 5, which featured many box-office bombs. Aside from having one of the shortest periods between title announcement and release date, the film made history in several major ways.
It introduced Wolverine to the MCU and also featured his comic-accurate costume for the first time in live-action. Fans also got to see Henry Cavill as Wolverine, a Christmas wish that they never dreamt Santa would deliver.
Avengers: Endgame
Marvel held the Endgame title back for over a year after Avengers: Infinity War hit theaters in April 2018. The studio was so committed to secrecy that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige acknowledged the situation had gotten entirely out of hand as fan speculation about the sequel’s name spiraled.
The theories surrounding the plot itself were absolutely wild, with some people even predicting that Loki had been pretending to be Bruce Banner the whole time, which was why he was acting weird in Infinity War. The first Endgame trailer, released on December 7, 2018, finally confirmed the title Avengers: Endgame alongside the April 26, 2019, release date. This quelled some of the unrest surrounding the title but also sparked more over-the-top theories about the plot.
The reveal gave audiences 140 days with the name before the film arrived. The wait paid off as Endgame grossed 2.7 billion worldwide, briefly becoming the highest-grossing film in history.
Agatha All Along
The WandaVision spin-off spent years cycling through titles, from Agatha: House of Harkness to Agatha: Coven of Chaos to Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, with a brief, hilarious pivot to Agatha: The Lying Witch with the Great Wardrobe. The final name, Agatha All Along, was confirmed at Disney’s Upfront presentation on May 14, 2024, when Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, and Patti LuPone took the stage alongside the September 18, 2024, premiere date.
One hundred and twenty-seven days separated the title lock-in from the Disney+ debut. The show’s many name changes made the final reveal feel earned, and the series went on to become one of the strongest-reviewed MCU Disney+ outings of that year. Agatha is part of an unconventional MCU trilogy that continues the story that began with WandaVision in 2021. Later this year, VisionQuest will mark the final chapter of the trilogy.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Before One Last Kill, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law held the record for the shortest MCU title-to-premiere gap. Marvel revealed the full title and dropped the first trailer at Disney’s Upfront presentation on May 17, 2022, confirming the August 17, 2022, premiere date on Disney+ at the same time. The show’s name had previously existed simply as She-Hulk in all official communications.
The premiere was ultimately pushed back one day to August 18, 2022, leaving 93 days between the title reveal and the debut. Tatiana Maslany starred as Jennifer Walters alongside Mark Ruffalo, Tim Roth, and Charlie Cox. The show held a lot of promise but became known as one of the least-liked Disney+ shows.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
