The long-awaited, highly anticipated Marvel One-Shot about the Punisher is finally here, and while it works as an intense, action-packed introduction to the character, we’re a little confused as to its overall purpose.
Titled The Punisher: One Last Kill, the show (which runs a little under an hour) stars Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, who is dealing with some major issues. At some point in the past, his wife and kids were killed by a mob family, and he went on a killing spree to get revenge. Now, he’s still struggling with their loss but is forced to put that aside to attempt to survive an elaborate attempt on his life. There’s action and violence, as well as a dynamic, powerful performance by Bernthal.
The release of One Last Kill comes on the heels of Daredevil: Born Again season two. The first season saw the reintroduction of Bernthal’s Punisher into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he was nowhere to be seen in season two. His persona plays a part because the Kingpin’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force uses his symbol, but in terms of his story, there’s nothing.
So, considering its release date, one might assume One Last Kill explains where Frank Castle was during Born Again season two, right? Not really. Maybe it does tangentially, but definitely not directly. Well then, he’s also set to appear in this summer’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Does it explain how that team-up happens? Again, it does not. So, watching the show, you might be left scratching your head a bit. What the heck is the point of this?
Without a doubt, the show is a succinct and visceral refresher of Frank Castle’s origin. Presumably, many MCU fans may not have seen two seasons of Netflix’s The Punisher, which covered a lot of this in much more detail. So, if you didn’t see that and need a quick understanding of who the Punisher is and what he does, One Last Kill is the way to go. He’s a former Marine who gets revenge on a mob family for the death of his own family. The same as in the show and the same as in the original Marvel Comics.
And, considering the show isn’t even an hour, One Last Kill does a fantastic job getting into Frank’s headspace quickly and effectively. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green (who co-wrote with Bernthal) uses all manner of filmmaking tools to show the audience the pain Frank lives with. He has visions, suicidal thoughts, ignores the horrors around him, and so on. We can clearly see who this person is and what his struggles are.
It then goes a step further when Frank realizes his actions have consequences, and basically, an entire New York neighborhood tries to kill him. The result is a 15-minute (or so) non-stop action sequence with the most violent and disgusting kills you’ll ever see in a Disney property. We’re talking really rough stuff. Not for the faint-of-heart type of violence. If you can stomach that kind of thing, it’s entertaining while also illustrating who both Frank and the Punisher are. Eventually, he’s got to make a key decision, setting everything up for the future.
By the end of One Last Kill, you get it. The point is to give fans a refresher. Either those who’ve been excited to see the character again or especially those who don’t know anything about the Punisher, have never read a comic, or seen an episode of the show or the first season of Daredevil: Born Again. It’s a quickie origin story, and it does it well. However, it’s hard to shake how the whole thing feels a little superfluous and tonally removed from these other MCU Punisher stories. We don’t think he’s going to be snapping anyone’s arms in half or repeatedly stabbing people in the new Spider-Man movie, right? The show has a mean streak that feels true to the character but not the world.
And so we’re left with a solid little story that feels completely disconnected from its surroundings. On the one hand, that’s a good thing. The Punisher is a brutal character with lots of important real-life mythology around him. It shouldn’t be sugar-coated. But also, watching this on Disney+ as a bridge between shows and movies about masked Marvel heroes, it just feels off. It’s worthwhile and true to the character, but just not all there.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is now streaming. The character will next be seen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
