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With Frank Castle about to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, you might be wondering what The Punisher: One Last Kill ending could mean for Frank Castle's future in the MCU. Well, look no further: our Punisher: One Last Kill ending explained has you covered.
From that brutal siege to the final moments that may segue seamlessly into Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Punisher: One Last Kill has plenty to chew over. There's also some surprise cameos from Punisher shows past and the wider Defenders-verse. As well as a recap of that action-packed ending, we're also answering all your burning questions about the Marvel Studios Special Presentation.
Strap on a bulletproof vest, let out a guttural scream, and join us as we dive into The Punisher: One Last Kill in full spoiler-filled detail. So be sure to watch the new Marvel special before soldiering forward (it's only 44 minutes sans credits, so you've no excuse). After that, be sure to check out our Punisher: One Last Kill review.
The Punisher: One Last Kill ending recap
After narrowly surviving a brutal and bloody assault on his apartment block, Frank escapes to street level by hurling himself off some scaffolding onto a school bus below. As Ma Gnucci – the instigator of the chaos – starts to leave, Frank has a choice: pursue the person responsible for the bloodshed, or do what he can to save those still in danger.
Hearing the voice of his daughter, Lisa, blend into the cries of Charli as her father’s coffee shop is raided by armed thugs, Frank’s red mist for Ma Gnucci drops, and he redirects his rage into protecting the innocent. Of course, he does so in wincingly brutal Frank Castle fashion, using guns, knives, axes, and knees to kill several would-be assassins, and finishing his rampage by stabbing a tattooed heavy to death with a pen. John Wick would be proud.
With Charli, Debbie and Dre safely reunited, Frank starts to limp away, only to be handed a hand-crafted flower by a grateful Charli. Paramedics and police descend on the scene of the siege, scattering the thugs. Frank returns to the cemetery where his family is at rest, placing the flower on his daughter’s grave. “I met someone today,” he tells Lisa. “Reminded me of you. Think maybe you were with me today, baby.”
Spotting the previously discarded key to his Punisher gear lying in the grass, a bloodied and bruised Frank sits down and looks to the future. “Maybe I’m gonna keep going, huh?” As he did in previous seasons of Daredevil and The Punisher, Frank starts to recite Lisa's favorite story like a mantra – “One batch, two batch, penny and dime” – to remind himself of what he’s fighting for.
Some time later, Mickey, the gangster who murdered Cammo the dog at the outset of the special, is moments away from assaulting two pedestrians when Frank intervenes in the nick of time. Now in his full, classic Punisher regalia, Frank pins Mickey to a lampost and reclaims Johnny’s hat. “That’s not the only thing he took from me,” says Johnny. As Mickey runs away, Frank takes him down with a throwing knife to the thigh and finishes him off with a bullet to the head in the shadow of Gnucci’s restaurant.
The Punisher: One Last Kill cameos, references and Easter eggs
The Punisher: One Last Kill features several returning characters from The Punisher series on Netflix, including Frank’s family (Kelli Barrett reprises Maria Castle) and fellow vet Curtis Hoyle, who’s once again played by Jason R. Moore. The most noteworthy cameo, however, is Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), who appears to Frank in his apartment, wearing the same Marines hoodie that Maria is seen wearing in hallucinatory flashbacks. She’s a figment of his fractured psyche, but after initial hostility, Karen snaps Frank back into action just as a small army of assassins arrives on his doorstep.
While maybe not explicit references, the death of a dog (RIP Cammo) and Frank’s later use of a ballpoint pen to take out a criminal with extreme prejudice recall John Wick, who also avenges a canine and infamously killed someone with a "fookin' pencil". Many have already drawn parallels to The Raid/Dredd, with the siege structure of Frank fighting his way out of an apartment building, but these are likely not overt references either.
One adorable casting Easter egg: Addie Bernthal, the daughter of Frank Castle actor Jon Bernthal, also plays his on-screen daughter, Lisa, in The Punisher: One Last Kill.
Who dies in The Punisher: One Last Kill?
A boatload of goons die in The Punisher: One Last Kill, as Frank shoots, slices, and maims his way through the army of thugs out to claim the price on his head. In flashbacks, we also see Frank taking out most of the Gnucci crime family. And dog murderer Mickey faces Frank’s justice for his heinous crimes. However, there are no other significant deaths in The Punisher: One Last Kill. Even Ma Gnucci escapes with her life, despite gunning for Frank and causing a great deal of death and destruction. She got off lightly.
The Punisher: One Last Kill key – what is it for?
It’s surprisingly easy to miss what the key that Frank leaves at his family’s graves actually unlocks. Around the 7-minute mark, Frank locks away his firearms and gear, with the intention of leaving the Punisher in the past. He then places this locked bag in a cabinet and drapes a military flag over it.
When he picks up the key again at the end of the special, this is Frank reopening the door to the Punisher and returning to a life of vigilante justice, in memory of his fallen family.
Is there a Punisher: One Last Kill post-credits scene?
This one’s easy to answer: no, there isn’t a Punisher: One Last Kill post-credits scene. The final scene of the special sees Frank back in full Punisher mode, taking down Mickey, the criminal who murdered Johnny’s dog at the outset. There are no additional scenes during or after the credits.
Will The Punisher return?
This one’s also easy to answer: yes! We already know that Frank Castle will return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day this July, where Tom Holland’s wall-crawler will cross paths with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. In the trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Frank is seen in his Punisher garb, all but confirming that the Frank Castle we’re about to be reacquainted with has gone through his ordeal with Ma Gnucci and come through the other side. We don’t yet have explicit confirmation of exactly how much time will transpire between the events of The Punisher: One Last Kill and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But at the very least, we know it's enough time for Frank to have shaved his grisly beard off.
Is Daredevil in The Punisher: One Last Kill?
Despite releasing one week after the Daredevil: Born Again season 2 finale, and Frank briefly appearing in the first season of Born Again, Daredevil does not appear in The Punisher: One Last Kill. In fact, the only character from the wider Defenders family to appear in One Last Kill alongside Frank is Karen Page, and even she is a figment of Frank’s imagination.
This makes a certain amount of sense. Thanks to Daredevil showrunner Dario Scardapane, we know when The Punisher: One Last Kill is set on the Marvel timeline. Specifically, One Last Kill is set after Frank’s escape from Fisk’s prison in Born Again season 1, but “before and during” the events of Born Again season 2, so Matt Murdock and co. are busy with Wilson Fisk’s reign of terror.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is streaming on Disney Plus. For more on the MCU, here's our guide to how to watch all the Marvel movies in order.
