Frank Castle's Future in the MCU After Spider-Man: Brand New Day
By Published May 12, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT Kyle is a senior writer at ScreenRant and has been part of the team for over two years. Having led coverage on The Walking Dead projects alongside Rick & Morty, Kyle is well versed in numerous genres.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Kyle is a passionate journalist who has a keen interest in TV and film. He has six years of experience studying journalism including a HND in Practical Journalism and a BA Honours in Journalism, Media and Communication and History. Alongside his love for TV and film, Kyle enjoys video games, football and Formula 1. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
Jon Bernthal's first The Punisher appearance since 2019 came in Daredevil: Born Again's debut season last year, but his upcoming solo project will see him back to his violent best. Titled , Frank Castle is set to make his second MCU appearance in this one-off special, giving viewers a deeper insight into his character.
Although Frank has plenty of fans, he's also one of the superhero franchise's most polarizing figures, due to his excessive use of violence and blurring the lines between heroism and villainy. He's one of the prime examples of a true anti-hero, committing sinful acts for the greater good, often leaving the very heroes he frequently works with feeling conflicted.
As a result, it's not a major surprise to see rating, as it's the only honest way to tell a story focusing exclusively on Frank, much like his two-season Netflix series did. However, One Last Kill isn't the start of a new The Punisher show and is instead being described as a special presentation.
This means it'll be a stand-alone adventure that makes up for The Punisher's Daredevil: Born Again season 2 absence, but we already know where he'll appear next following this impending release. Just over two months from now, Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Despite already being an official part of the MCU, it'll be the character's first big-screen outing in this universe, and the first live-action movie The Punisher has featured in for almost two decades. While Brand New Day's tone does look much darker than the previous three MCU Spider-Man movies, Frank Castle's involvement still raises some eyebrows.
His gloomy outlook and confrontational demeanor make it hard to imagine how will work, especially without having a pre-existing on-screen relationship with Peter Parker. Still, this will be the next project we see Frank in after One Last Kill, meaning fans of The Punisher won't want to miss it.
What's Next For Jon Bernthal's The Punisher After Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
Despite what the title suggests, The Punisher: One Last Kill won't be the last time we see Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle dishing out his divisive version of justice due to his Spider-Man role, but he isn't scheduled to appear in anything else thereafter. However, with Daredevil: Born Again confirmed for a third season, this is likely his next project.
Having played a relatively substantial role in season 1, did feel strange, especially with the show featuring some major returns. That said, knowing he had this special presentation coming out just a week after Born Again's second season finished did offer some kind of explanation.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is expected to connect some dots between his Netflix show and the current MCU timeline, presumably showing what happened after he escaped Kingpin's capture in Born Again season 1. Therefore, after further establishing himself in Brand New Day, Frank Castle will likely continue his mission in a Kingpin-free New York.
Before then, the only possible release he could be a part of is Avengers: Doomsday, but it's hard to see how he'd fit into this story, especially as the street heroes he's associated with aren't currently attached either.
Subscribe for deeper MCU and The Punisher coverage
Want continued MCU context on Frank Castle? Subscribe to our newsletter for focused coverage of The Punisher, his ties to Spider-Man and Daredevil, and what each appearance could mean for the MCU's street-level future. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our and . You can unsubscribe anytime.
One Last Kill could set up his own solo show in the future, but with nothing confirmed, it would likely take at least a few years before we see this happen. With this in mind, The Punisher's MCU future following Spider-Man Brand New Day remains purely speculation, but a Daredevil return seems like a safe bet.
Seeing his interactions with Spider-Man and potentially even the Hulk in July's highly anticipated movie is already exciting, but the prospect of him crossing paths with some of the returning Defenders from the Netflix universe is also tantalizing, and with how much he's being used in 2026, a big future seems inevitable for Frank Castle.
Therefore, The Punisher: One Last Kill feels much more like a symbolic title than the end of Frank Castle's MCU journey, and so long as Bernthal is interested in playing the character, Marvel will undoubtedly find something for him to do, making his involvement for 2027 and beyond an intriguing unknown.
Cast
-
Frank Castle / The Punisher -
Colton Hill Colton
Expand Collapse
Follow Followed Like Share Close Trending Now
