Ron’s Review

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In The Punisher: One Last Kill, Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, is mostly punishing himself as he loses purpose having finally avenged his dead family. Because what can a man who eats nothing but vengeance do with himself when all the baddies are dead? He starts seeing his long-dead loved ones until he doesn’t know what’s real and what’s not. Someone get this man a therapist.

But that’s not what happens. God forbid a male superhero get actual psychological help. Instead, this presentation is violence, violence, violence. An almost unending series of shots of Frank shooting and cutting people to death. Now, I get it. The Punisher isn’t Batman–his policy is all-kill, not no-kill. But this is bonkers. How are you helping people if you just kill them? How does Frank even tell the good guys from the bad?

And what about the trauma of the people who survived the violence? We’re expected to believe they’re all grateful that Frank saved them, but that’s only after they’ve been badly beaten, seen their pets killed, been sexually assaulted. Even for those who didn’t see the violence, I’m pretty sure they could hear the knives (or pens) entering and exiting the bodies of people several times. I’m all for suspending my disbelief but even I can’t suspend it that much.

Also, is anybody else surprised that Punisher’s storyline from Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 never got resolved? We jump from him escaping the AVTF to The Punisher: One Last Kill where he’s having a full-blown psychotic breakdown. Where in the MCU timeline does this fit? Apparently, this presentation leads directly into Spider-Man: Brand New Day. How is that going to work? We go from hyper, and honestly, gratuitous, violence, to quippy PG Spider-Man? That’s going to be a very jarring experience.

I do have to mention that Jon Bernthal is once again excellent. The man has range and he has made Punisher his own in a way that nobody else has. How he captures the voice, the inflections, the rage of Frank, while playing non-violent and sweet characters in between, it’s remarkable. He also co-wrote this presentation which really demonstrates his commitment to the character. He’s written a complex role for himself here–Frank goes through it emotionally and, as an actor, Bernthal gives himself a lot of work to do. And he does it all well.

But it’s nothing new. Arrow literally did the same thing years ago. Bruce Wayne constantly sees dead people. Tony Stark had panic attacks in Iron Man 3. I want something different.

Especially since at the end of this, we’re meant to believe that Punisher has come out on the other side. That he isn’t just out for vengeance. He’s out to do good, because he’s done it one time.

Except, guess what? Whether it’s vengeance or doing good, Punisher is killing people. That’s it. I can’t call that change. I understand it’s true to the comic character but it doesn’t work in 2026. We’re surrounded by too much violence for us to celebrate this character.

Jon Bernthal is an absolute star but this presentation did not work for me. It’s an overdone story that relies too heavily on tropes, and sends a message that is completely incongruent with the world we live in.

Mon’s Review

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My overarching feeling while watching The Punisher: One Last Kill was ‘what’s the point of this?’ And I came away with no answer. This one-shot episode was nothing more than a gratuitous show of violence, blood, and gore. Frank needs help–instead, he’s handed gun after gun to restart the cycle of violence that led him down a dark path. And the only conclusion that’s possible, as per this show, is that violence, with guns, is the only option.

The Punisher comics may have intended to be a commentary on the failure of the American system, but the live-action MCU show(s) seem to have gone off the rails in understanding what this character and his place is in today’s world. The US hasn’t just normalized gun violence, it’s glorified it. The rest of us simply cannot fathom the minds of the Americans who worship the mass-killing machines. And yet, The Punisher: One Last Kill seems to revel in this same rhetoric. I’m so confused. 

It doesn’t help that there’s no indication where this arc lands in MCU-Frank’s journey. He was underground at the start of Daredevil: Born Again, before finding a purpose again. But then he disappeared in Season 2, only to pop up in this episode. The trouble is, which New York is in The Punisher: One Last Kill? We see a hyperviolent neighbourhood; trash everywhere; general lawlessness. But no Anti-Vigilante Task Force. No mention of Mayor Fisk. So, when is this happening? Without that grounding, all we’re privy to is Frank spiralling and the creative team revelling in that spiral, without offering anyone a way out. What’s the message here?

I understand this is supposed to lead, directly, to Punisher’s appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. How? Seriously, just how? Tonally, this episode is so far removed from the Spider-Man films. I’d say, this is far removed from any MCU property so far. The guy from this episode does not belong in the MCU Spider-Man’s universe. 

And that’s primarily why I don’t understand the point of this episode. Was it to spotlight Jon Bernthal’s performance? The man can emote his heart out; but we know this, he keeps doing it every time he’s on screen. He’s also surrounded by other great performances. There’s a scene early on featuring an extra that will rip your heart apart. But that’s not enough reason to put us through 50 minutes of torture, crying, and so much violence. 

I may have given The Punisher: One Last Kill a pass had it been a creative feat. But it isn’t. The action scenes, which are so slick across the Daredevil shows, are choppy here. There’s a prolonged sequence that’s supposed to be immersive, but comes across almost comedic (and I was wholly distracted by Louis Armstrong’s fabulous rendition of La Vie En Rose to pay any attention to the visuals). 

We also have distracting pauses throughout the storytelling. An exposition-heavy–and overhammy performance–by a character; a cameo, because this is Marvel; a sweet gesture by a character who should be too traumatized to think. So many odd choices throughout this.

I watched The Punisher: One Last Kill because it’s part of the MCU. But in all honesty, I think it’s easy to give it a miss.