Does The Punisher: One Last Kill set up Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

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Marvel antihero The Punisher is back in action with his very own Disney+ special: One Last Kill.

Given the title, you might think this story marks the end for Frank Castle (played by Jon Bernthal), a troubled war veteran. Years ago, a criminal gang murdered his family, leaving him deeply scarred and seeking revenge.

However, Marvel fans already know this isn’t the only time they’ll see The Punisher this year. He’s also scheduled to appear in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie, which is expected in July.

With both projects coming out around the same time, many fans hoped the new Punisher series might offer hints about the upcoming Spider-Man movie. Does it actually provide any of those clues?

Here’s the verdict on how The Punisher: One Last Kill sets up Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Does The Punisher: One Last Kill set up Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

Honestly, The Punisher: One Last Kill doesn’t really lead into the Spider-Man: Brand New Day storyline. It’s a separate story that mostly focuses on the Punisher’s troubled mind.

As a fan, I always understood that ‘one last kill’ moment as Frank finally taking out the very last person responsible for destroying his family. But it’s so much more than just revenge, right? It leaves him at this really heartbreaking crossroads – does he keep going down this path of violence, or does he finally decide he’s had enough and end it all?

In the end, he realizes he can keep fighting crime even after achieving his own revenge. This realization comes after he helps a family being threatened by Ma Gnucci (played by Judith Light from Poker Face and Ugly Betty), a crime boss seeking revenge.

Seeing their child brought back painful memories of his own daughter, who had passed away. This strengthened his determination to help others avoid the same heartbreaking loss he had experienced.

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Even though Ma Gnucci remains free at the end of this story, it probably won’t matter for the future of Spider-Man’s adventures in ‘Brand New Day.’ So, if you already know The Punisher, you don’t necessarily need to watch ‘One Last Kill’.

This episode gives Frank Castle a fresh direction within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, setting him up to continue his violent fight against organized crime for a long time to come. That’s great news for the future of the franchise!

Whether “The Punisher: One Last Kill” will result in another TV series for the character – after his previous, intense two-season run on Netflix – is still unknown. However, the story definitely creates many possibilities for Jon Bernthal to continue playing the Punisher within the Marvel Studios universe.

Dario Scardapane, the head of the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series, told Variety that The Punisher: One Last Kill will take place after the events of The Punisher on Netflix and overlap with the second season of Born Again.

According to executive producer Sana Amanat, Frank Castle – and actor Jon Bernthal – is a loner. She told TopMob that he focuses on his own path and will continue to do so, which is central to the character’s story.

You can now watch The Punisher: One Last Kill on Disney Plus. A Disney+ subscription starts at just £5.99 per month.

Don’t miss out on Marvel shows! Add them to your watchlist using the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download it today for daily TV recommendations and the latest features.

Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about TV and streaming dramas and comedies for TopMob. Before that, he contributed to Starburst Magazine, hosted the Winter King Podcast on ITVX, and earned a Journalism degree from the University of Sheffield.

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2026-05-13 17:06