If Marvel’s The Punisher has always promised one thing, it’s that the character pushes the boundaries of brutality. In the MCU’s upcoming Punisher: One Last Kill, star Jon Bernthal says Frank Castle is in his “most psychologically complex and darkest” state yet.
Jon Bernthal first appeared as Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, in Daredevil Season 2 back in 2016, subsequently starring in his own spin-off series, The Punisher from 2017–2019. He went on to appear alongside Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, and will star alongside Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Before he stars on the big screen alongside Spidey, however, he’ll first return in A Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill, coming to Disney+ on May 12.
One Last Kill catches up with Castle as he attempts to live his life without violence — but of course, such a thing is nigh impossible when you’re The Punisher. He’s forced back into vigilanteism when a new conflict with a rising New York City criminal organisation threatens is retirement. Check out the trailer:
Ahead of One Last Kill, Bernthal recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show and teased what fans can expect of his returning vigilante. Suffice to say, violence is a given. But also, we’re going to see Castle in his “most psychologically complex and darkest” mental state yet, with Bernthal adding that the film will give viewers what they want: “I believe it’s what the fans want.”
“I wrote it alongside the help of Nick Koumalatsos, who’s a Marine Raider and an unbelievable guy who wrote a book his own pain and his own bout with hopelessness and his story back,” Bernthal added. “It was such an honor. He’s a producer on [it]. Cody Alford, a Marine Raider, and Colton Hill, Green Beret, were on set. They’re badass. They’re more than badass. They’re just beautiful human beings, and they’re great, and they really wanted to do something, you know, for the veterans community and especially for these guys, the tip of the spear guys who are really suffering with entering back into the world. And I think that’s very much at the core of a Frank story.”
Plus, of course, Bernthal returns as the Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is a very different style of movie. Despite this, the goal was to keep the tone similar for a seamless transition. The two projects release extremely close together, after all. “With Spider-Man, I think what was most important, because, obviously, tonally it’s different and such an honour to be a part of it, especially with my dear friend Tom Holland,” he said. “It was important to us that one Punisher could walk off one set and walk onto the other. Tonally, they couldn’t be more different, but I hope we were able to achieve that. It’s very important.”
A Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill is streaming on Disney+ on May 12.
Not yet seen the original Punisher series? Find out where to watch it below:
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