Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle surrounded by ghosts of Marine Corps soldiers in The Punisher_ One Last Kill
Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Punisher: One Last Kill. One of the biggest questions to come out of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 was where on Earth were people like Frank Castle when Matt Murdock needed them?
The Daredevil faced off against his arch nemesis, Wilson Fisk, who managed to ascend to become the Mayor of New York City in both the first and second seasons of his solo MCU series. However, despite the show being set in New York, and many of the other characters from across the MCU also calling New York home, Daredevil struggled to get allies to his side.
But perhaps more surprising than near-strangers like Spider-Man, Kate Bishop, and Kamala Khan not joining his ranks was the fact that his former ally, Frank Castle, was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, the MCU has set out to clear up what was happening with Frank's story in the Marvel Special Presentation, The Punisher: One Last Kill, which arrived on Disney+ just one week after the Daredevil: Born Again season 2 finale began streaming.
The Punisher: One Last Kill Takes Place Around The Same Time As Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Daredevil: Born Again showrunner, Dario Scardapane, shared with Variety that The Punisher: One Last Kill explores Frank Castle's story after he parts ways with the characters in season 1. This means that the story would be set roughly around the same time as the events of Daredevil: Born Again season 2.
That would explain why the character was unavailable to join Matt Murdock and his allies in fighting back against Fisk, but it does create some confusion regarding how widespread Fisk's influence in New York was, and where the AVTF were operating. Frank Castle Was Dealing With His Own Inner Demons But the larger reason why Frank Castle would have been unable to join the fight appears to be the fact that he was struggling with various hallucinations.
Having murdered everyone that had anything to do with the death of his wife and kids, Frank was forced to deal with his own issues and felt aimless as his mission had been completed. This inner conflict left him largely useless to anyone, and he was on the verge of giving up on his life, though the events of The Punisher: One Last Kill appear to have knocked him back on course and helped him find a new purpose.
But of course, to get to that point, he also had to overcome one of the most grueling challenges yet, as he took on an entire city block who were all trying to take him down. The Punisher Is Now Ready To Get Back On The Streets Evidently, by the end of the special, Frank Castle appears to have found some sort of peace.
With a new role as a protector and someone who delivers justice, it seems as though Frank has finally embraced his identity as The Punisher and is now turning his attention away from seeking his own justice in an effort to help others who have been wronged. Clearly, his methods are a significant departure from those of a lot of other vigilantes and heroes who try to avoid crossing the line when it comes to killing criminals.
But Frank gets results, and when he sets out to achieve a goal, he eventually achieves it, as seen by the fact that every individual involved in the death of his family was ultimately eliminated. Subscribe to the newsletter for Punisher and MCU insight Want deeper context? Subscribe to the newsletter for character analysis, scene breakdowns, and MCU connective theories that unpack Frank Castle's arc and the Punisher's role across the wider Marvel universe.
Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. This will, of course, lead to a clash when The Punisher butts heads with Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a film where he is set to have a central role.
But, since Frank has found peace with his new mission and his use of excessive force in The Punisher: One Last Kill, it seems likely that he will continue to operate in much the same way throughout the MCU. 9.1/10 9/10 The Punisher: One Last Kill 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed Action Crime Superhero Drama Thriller Release Date May 12, 2026 Runtime 60 Minutes Director Reinaldo Marcus Green Writers Reinaldo Marcus Green, Ross Andru, Jon Bernthal, Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr. Franchise The Punisher Cast Powered by Expand Collapse
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