Viewers are curious to know where The Punisher: One Last Kill stands in the MCU timeline. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, the television special centers on Frank Castle, feeling lost and searching for life beyond retaliation. However, things don’t go as expected, and he’s pulled back into a serious conflict with crime lord Ma Gnucci. As the special was released recently, many want to know which MCU series/film it takes place in to better understand the plot.
The Punisher: One Last Kill’s timeline explained
The Punisher: One Last Kill offers no clear timeline; however, it largely appears to be set before or during the events of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.
During a conversation with Variety, Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane addressed where the special presentation fits into the MCU timeline. He revealed whether it comes after Daredevil Born Again Season 1, Punisher Season 2, or Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is set to release in July 2026. “I think this tells the story of what happened next after Punisher and before and during the events of [Born Again] Season 2,” he explained.
In a conversation with ScreenRant, Jon Bernthal, who plays Frank Castle, also explained how the MCU has set him off on an entirely new path that viewers haven’t seen before.
“Through the course of this day with that little girl sort of giving him the gift that she does, and for him to go pass that along and put that trinket of hope, that trinket of life, of gratitude, of love on his daughter’s grave, it’s the first time he hasn’t put a trinket that belonged to somebody that he killed for his daughter,” he elaborated.
He believes that his character now seems to honor his family by keeping others safe and fighting for justice. This change in story direction is what he believes is a “real big step” for his character. He admitted that his character will be found going after the bad guys and personalising this motive, while not exactly revealing too much about what’s to come next.
