Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle works best when he’s more than a bundle of grief. The MCU’s latest take, The Punisher: One Last Kill, risks resetting his growth instead of pushing him toward a clearer, forward-moving purpose—especially as Bernthal’s Punisher is se
Frank Castle has always been a difficult character to get right on screen. Every live-action version of The Punisher—Dolph Lundgren. Thomas Jane. and Ray Stevenson included—has struggled to capture what makes him matter: the psychological weight beneath the violence. Jon Bernthal changed that when he debuted in Daredevil. playing a deeply haunted man who understands he’s becoming something dangerous.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though, Frank’s momentum has started to feel stuck. The biggest problem isn’t that the trauma is there—it’s that it keeps driving the story like it never ends. The grief may be the origin of the antihero. but the MCU’s newer direction risks turning it into the only thing he’s allowed to be.
What should have been a turning point still circles back to the same wound. Netflix’s The Punisher recapped Frank’s origin and gave him a path for revenge. but it also made space for what revenge can’t undo: all the trauma he carries. That was the point of his vigilante drive—he wasn’t just hunting answers for himself; he was trying to stop other families from being pulled into the same tragedy.
More recent MCU projects haven’t matched that redemptive angle. Instead, The Punisher: One Last Kill makes Frank feel as if he’s been reset. The story’s emphasis lands repeatedly on the inciting moment that shaped him. with flashes back to the primal shock that built him into an antihero. Daredevil: Born Again had already shown a version of Frank still using lethal force. but it also gave him a shift: he had become wary of the police force using him as an inspiration. and he found motivation to become a better person for people he cares about—Karen Page. played by Deborah Ann Woll.
Even with that established growth, The Punisher: One Last Kill leans hard into the repetition of Frank’s inner devastation. Bernthal is undeniably capable of letting the loss of Frank’s family live in every waking moment. and the continual flashes of his inner thoughts end up feeling unnecessary rather than illuminating. It’s not just that Frank is wounded—it’s that the writing doesn’t consistently acknowledge how much he has already evolved.
That matters because Frank works best in stories where he’s challenged. In Daredevil: Born Again. Frank and Matt Murdock. portrayed by Charlie Cox. may have different philosophies for dealing with criminals. but they end up working together for the greater good. The logic is simple: Frank isn’t at his sharpest as a solo storm of misery. He’s at his best when he’s allied with others who can call him out. forcing him to confront himself instead of hiding behind grief.
There’s an even bigger question hanging over where the MCU wants to take him next: does Frank genuinely want to be a hero—or does he just do “good” when it’s convenient?. The current iteration of Frank seems to fear that humility and mercy would make him weaker. The problem with that approach is that it misreads what strength actually looks like for him. Choosing not to continue the cycle of vengeance—especially when he already knows it won’t bring justice—is the kind of restraint that would take real fortitude.
The brightest recent moment for Frank, the one that points toward what the MCU can still do, comes at the end of Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again. That ending confronts him with consequences, and it’s the kind of pressure that can force change rather than merely replay pain.
Next. the stakes rise in a new direction entirely: Frank is set to appear on the big screen opposite Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. That pairing has real momentum behind it. because Frank’s dynamic with Peter wouldn’t need to be about agreeing on methods—it could be about clashing experiences. There’s subtext to work with between them: they were both betrayed by mentors and lost their families. But for that dynamic to land. Frank has to demonstrate something essential—he has to want to move on from the worst moments of his life.
The Punisher: One Last Kill may not fail outright. Its larger message about Frank is clear: he will struggle to fully retire in a world where violence keeps finding him. Still, the story leaves a crucial fork in the road. Frank can accept that he can’t shut the world out and instead commit to changing his philosophy. which could open the door to one of the most compelling character progressions in the entire MCU. Or he can choose to remain a loner, burning bridges as he wallows in misery.
That second option doesn’t just paint a bleak picture of how humans behave—it fights against the themes of companionship and self-sacrifice that run through Marvel’s identity. beyond the MCU as well. Bernthal’s casting remains the greatest thing The Punisher has going for it. but Frank Castle can’t keep living on one setting forever. If the MCU brings him into Spider-Man: Brand New Day. the most important question is also the most telling one: will Frank finally show he can be more than grief with a gun?.
Jon Bernthal The Punisher Frank Castle Daredevil Daredevil: Born Again Karen Page Deborah Ann Woll Charlie Cox Matt Murdock Spider-Man: Brand New Day Tom Holland Marvel Cinematic Universe Netflix's The Punisher The Punisher: One Last Kill