When Punisher: One Last Kill takes place in the MCU and what Jon Bernthal’s story arc is about

Marvel’s The Punisher: One Last Kill will release on May 12, 2026, filling the gap between Netflix’s Punisher and Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.

Marvel’s The Punisher: One Last Kill is about to release and fans are asking where it fits in the MCU timeline and Jon Bernthal’s long‑term story as Frank Castle. The Disney+ special will serve as a crucial link between the classic Netflix series, Daredevil: Born Again, and Frank’s future appearance in the Spider‑Man: Brand New Day movie.

When Punisher: One Last Kill takes place in the MCU and what Jon Bernthal’s story arc is about

Where the special lands in the MCU timeline

Marvel has clarified that The Punisher: One Last Kill takes place during the events of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. It will fill in the period between Frank’s old Netflix series and his upcoming big‑screen debut.

The season will take place after The Punisher and before and during the events of Daredevil: Born Again. The story will jumps into Frank’s life right after he tried to walk away from violence and assumes a low‑key existence, only to be dragged back into war.

The special is set in 2027, overlapping with the second season of Daredevil: Born Again. It will drop on Disney+ on May 12, 2026, exactly one week after the Season 2 finale airs.

A fan said on X, “This special literally sits between the Netflix Punisher era and the Spider‑Man movie, so it explains how he gets from one to the other.” Another viewer said, “If you want to understand Frank’s journey to fighting crime in New York, you have to watch this in order with the Daredevil seasons.”

Explaining the story arc

Director Reinaldo Marcus Green, who co‑wrote the special with Bernthal, has described the story as a “no‑holds‑barred” return to Frank Castle’s darkest instincts.

Bernthal said to Entertainment Weekely, “Let’s see if there’s a real openness and a hunger to let Frank be what Frank is, which is dark enough to have the courage and the boldness to turn your back on the audience.”

He added, “To make it difficult, to make it enormously psychologically complex and to steer away from any cuteness or humor and to really go full bore.”

Green explained that the special picks up with Frank trying to live without vengeance but being pulled back into action by a new threat he cannot ignore.