It has finally been revealed which comic The Punisher: One Last Kill is based on, and from Punisher star Jon Bernthal's comments, it sounds like we might see a newer, even tougher side to the vigilante.
The upcoming Marvel Special will pick up not long after we saw the anti-hero escape from Daredevil: Born Again villain Wilson Fisk's underground jail.
Although it won't adapt the comic book entirely, The Punisher: One Last Kill finds inspiration from The Punisher, Welcome Back, Frank by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. The comic series was recently released in the Marvel Premier Collection format, featuring a foreword from Punisher star Jon Bernthal.
"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," said Bernthal. "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."
Bernthal describes the comic as "an exploration and journey of honesty," adding, "Welcome Back, Frank doesn’t ask you to love Frank — it asks you to look at him clearly, without flinching. It asks you to see Frank in all his gruesome glory and then find that same primal motivation within yourself so you can go on that journey with him. Ennis evokes that side of you that wants to go as far as Frank does for what you believe in."
First published in 2000, the 12-issue series, also known as 'The Punisher', follows Frank as he comes back as a Vietnam War veteran and establishes himself as a vigilante in New York City. There, he takes on the Gnucci crime syndicate alongside Detective Soap and his new friends Joan the Mouse and Mr. Bumpo.
Although the Special steers away from the comic slightly, One Last Kill will bring to screen Castle's war with the Gnucci family, making gang leader Ma Gnucci's first-ever live-action appearance.
The Punisher: One Last Kill arrives on Disney+ on May 12, one week after the Daredevil: Born Again season 2 finale. For more, keep up to date with Marvel Phase 6 with our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows.
