‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’: Behind the Scenes of Marvel Television’s Dark, Action-Packed Special Presentation on Disney+

Frank Castle’s work is done… or is it?

In A Marvel Television Special Presentation: The Punisher: One Last Kill — premiering May 12 at 6 p.m. PT, exclusively on Disney+ — the titular vigilante (Emmy^® Award winner Jon Bernthal) feels there is “nothing left to do” after avenging the brutal murders of his wife and children. Still haunted by ghosts from his past, Frank searches for meaning beyond revenge — until Ma Gnucci (Tony Award^® winner Judith Light) comes to him for payback.

Intended for mature audiences, The Punisher: One Last Kill is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green from a script he co-wrote with Bernthal; both also serve as executive producers. In the Q&A below, Green provides a behind-the-scenes look at the highly anticipated special.

Jon came up with the idea for this special while filming Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again. As a former collaborator of his, at what point did he bring you onto this project?

Jon certainly lived with it a lot longer than me. It started with a conversation up in Ojai. I remember him saying Marvel wanted to do a special, and he asked if I would be open to it. It was amazing to have the character himself say, ‘I want you to do this.’ There is no greater compliment as a filmmaker. This was probably a year and a half before we started shooting.

Were you familiar with the character, either from the comics or the TV series?

I collected Punisher as a kid, so I thought, ‘I should probably go back and read some of those and rewatch the show.’ I did my homework, and it was fun. I remember going to my mother’s house in New Jersey, and she pulled out my old comic book stash from the attic. It hadn’t been opened in 25 years, and at the top of the pile was The Punisher. I can’t make that up! Of all the comic books, from Fantastic Four to X-Men, The Punisher was at the top of the pile. I was like, ‘Mom, did you put this here?’ It was amazing. I thought maybe it was already written somehow. It was some weird, kismet thing that said, ‘This is right.’ I love Marvel. I’ve always watched Marvel; I just didn’t know if it was time for me to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, it was a great way for me to challenge myself professionally.

Jon has become a real steward of his character, similar to a few other actors in the MCU. Why is it an asset to have someone so involved in shaping their character’s arc?

To do this with my brother was the best; this is our third project we’ve done together. It’s incredible that Jon has so much knowledge and brings so much depth to his character. Me not being an expert on The Punisher or the MCU, and coming in with fresh eyes, was also really critical, because it opens it up to audience members, like myself, who want a way in.

In this special, Frank reconciles with his entire past — including his time as a Marine. How did you and Jon collaborate with actual veterans to tell this part of Frank’s story?

Credit to Jon. He consulted and worked very closely with [Marine Raiders] Nick Koumalatsos and Cody Alford, as well as [Green Beret] Colton Hill. Not only were those guys cast in the special, but they were part of building and designing the character — his psychological state, where he was, where you find him now. Think about what they go through when they come home from war — what they’ve seen. That was helpful for us in terms of understanding the character and where he’s coming from. Good people do bad things. Bad people do good things. It’s about trying to find the humanity in each character.

Frank is a bit of an unreliable narrator, and he’s guiding us through the piece. What’s real, and what’s not real? We bring back some characters, like Karen Page [Deborah Ann Woll] and Curtis Hoyle [Jason R. Moore], to help remind people of where Frank’s been. When Frank wakes up, hopefully you understand… why he’s doing what he’s doing or who he’s out to protect.

This is probably the darkest state that we’ve ever seen Frank Castle in. That was critical to the success of this special — him going on a quiet journey. We hold back for a long time before the action comes, which is a risk. Once we literally set him ablaze, it’s full-on action.

What sets this special apart from other street-level stories in the MCU?

I love that it’s a standalone piece. It’s kind like a special comic book. When I was a kid, I always loved when you’d go to the store and find that special cover or that special edition.

This was made for Disney+, but I wanted to give it cinematic weight and scale. Jon’s always been my No. 1 on the call sheet. No matter what role he’s in, I’ve always viewed him as a movie star, and he feels as big as ever in this. Frank is back. I get chills when I see him at the end of the special. There are also some amazing action sequences, but they’re all driven by character. If you care about Frank — if you care about his journey — then the action becomes that much cooler, because it has meaning behind it. Yes, stabbing a man with a pen may seem gratuitous. But in that moment, it’s the only thing he has at his disposal. Frank is out of bullets; he’s got nothing but his military training, his precision, and his will.

It all boils down to Jon himself, man. There’s no greater trooper. Someone who is going to set himself on fire for the fans is someone who is committed to the craft, to say the least!