The Punisher: One Last Kill is right around the corner, and all signs point to it being nothing short of an absolute must-watch for fans of Frank Castle.
Last seen breaking out of The Kingpin's makeshift prison in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1's post-credits scene, the hope is that we'll find out where Frank went, why he didn't free anyone else, and why the anti-hero didn't help Matt Murdock take down the Mayor.
Oh, and there's the small matter of setting up The Punisher's role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
That's a lot to squeeze into a Special Presentation, but new comments from Jon Bernthal are sure to only increase excitement. The actor recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show and called it "the most psychologically complex, darkest version of the Punisher that you're going to see."
He added, "I believe it's what the fans want. I wrote it alongside the help of Nick Koumalatsos, who's a Marine Raider and an unbelievable guy who wrote a book his own pain and his own bout with hopelessness and his story back. It was such an honour. He's a producer on [it]. Cody Alford, a Marine Raider, and Colton Hill, Green Beret, were on set.
"They're badass. They're more than badass," the actor continued. "They're just beautiful human beings, and they're great, and they really wanted to do something, you know, for the veterans community and especially for these guys, the tip of the spear guys who are really suffering with entering back into the world. And I think that's very much at the core of a Frank story."
The Punisher: One Last Kill will have a TV-MA rating, whereas Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a PG-13 summer blockbuster. When it comes to how Frank fits into that very different corner of the MCU, Bernthal acknowledged that there's a big tonal shift.
"With Spider-Man, I think what was most important, because, obviously, tonally it's different and such an honour to be a part of it, especially with my dear friend Tom Holland," he said. "It was important to us that one Punisher could walk off one set and walk onto the other. Tonally, they couldn't be more different, but I hope we were able to achieve that. It's very important."
The social embargo for The Punisher One: Last Kill lifts on May 11 at 5:00pm PT/8:00pm ET, with reviews set to go live on May 12 at 6:00pm PT/9:00pm ET. Make sure to check back here then for our verdict.
In the Special Presentation, as Frank Castle searches for meaning beyond revenge, an unexpected force pulls him back into the fight.
The Punisher: One Last Kill premieres on May 12.