The Punisher: One Last Kill Fixes The Netflix Show's Biggest Issue

Spoilers for "The Punisher: One Last Kill" to follow.

Netflix's "The Punisher" series ran out of ammo fairly quickly. While most folks agree that Jon Bernthal makes for a great Frank Castle and one of the best Marvel Netflix characters overall, the "Punisher" show has been criticized for its over-extended seasons and slow pacing. With that in mind, the series' naysayers might be pleasantly surprised by the Disney+ special "The Punisher: One Last Kill," which is 45 minutes of non-stop mayhem — and it rocks.

"The Punisher: One Last Kill" wastes no time in getting the action underway. In one of its earliest scenes, a group of hoodlums assault an elderly man and throw his dog in front of a truck, which is just cruel. That said, the moment instantly establishes that viewers needn't worry about this particular Marvel Cinematic Universe property becoming too Disney-fied now that Bernthal's Punisher is set to join the franchise's PG-13 rated "Spider-Man" movies with "Brand New Day."

After that, it's only a matter of time until Frank starts gunning down, stabbing, and bludgeoning countless swarms of baddies, leaving no time for mercy. This is essentially when "The Punisher: One Last Kill" becomes "John Wick," but that might be welcomed by critics of the Netflix era. In fact, the only real quiet moments involve Frank talking to his hallucinations of his dead daughter and army buddies, which are more unsettling than somber.

Only time will tell if "One Last Kill" is better received than Netflix's "Punisher" TV adaptation in the long run, but no one can accuse the special of being overly slow. If anything, it might be too violent and twisted for some folks. Be that as it may, this chaotic small screen gem was clearly made for fans of the "Punisher" comics.

Jon Bernthal went into "The Punisher: One Last Kill" with the goal of giving fans an unrestrained version of Frank Castle. To accomplish this, he and his co-writer Reinaldo Marcus Green (who also directed the special) drew inspiration from "The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank." Written by Garth Ennis, with artwork by Steve Dillon and Jimmy Palmiotti, this comic book arc is widely regarded as one of the best stories about the New York vigilante ever made.

 As Bernthal wrote in a foreword to the comic for its release in the Marvel Premiere Collection format (via GamesRadar):

"Ennis doesn't apologize for Frank. He subverts the hero genre by being comfortable with the ugly and gray side of heroism, finding truth in the sordid dust of desperation and anger. [...] That honesty was my north star when writing and producing Marvel Television's upcoming 'Punisher' special. Ennis and Steve Dillon gave us a character with clarity of purpose and absolute commitment, someone who channels loss into action with brutal honesty. That ferocity and vulnerability is what makes Frank endure."

"The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank" is over-the-top, gleefully disturbing, and ultra-violent, and these descriptions can be just as readily applied to "One Last Kill." More than anything, the special is a reminder that Frank Castle is at his best when he's stacking up massive body counts. In keeping with that spirit, the whole thing is lean, mean, and hella entertaining — just like the source material that inspired it

"The Punisher: One Last Kill" is now streaming on Disney+. Later this year, The Punisher will return when "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" hits theaters on July 31, 2026.