PUNISHER: ONE LAST KILL Director Explains How the Special Sets Up Frank Castle’s Return in SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY
Fans are finally getting another dose of Frank Castle before he crashes into Spidey’s world, and according to director Reinaldo Marcus Green, Punisher: One Last Kill does more than just bring back Jon Bernthal’s brutal vigilante. It also lays the groundwork for where Frank’s head is at before he shows up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The special may work as its own self-contained story, but Green says it also acts as an important bridge into Marvel’s upcoming Spider-Man movie. Speaking with The Direct, the filmmaker opened up about how excited he was to help shape this next chapter for Castle.
"I love it. I mean, I feel like we're coming in at the right time," Green told The Direct, when asked about Spider-Man. "I think, just as a fan of The Punisher and a fan of Jon [Bernthal], I want to see him more on screen.
“That trailer looks amazing. [Destin Daniel Cretton] is an incredible filmmaker. So just to know that I got Frank first, which is cool to get there before everybody else did, which, selfishly, is really great, and set him up... And we [now] know his psychological state before he goes into Spider-Man. I couldn't have asked for better timing for us."
That little tease is enough to get Marvel fans theorizing already. We still don’t know much about Frank Castle’s role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but the trailer gave audiences a pretty intense first look. Frank is seen mowing down Spider-Man with a car before shooting at him through the windshield. That’s not exactly a friendly neighborhood welcome.
Green also made it clear that Punisher: One Last Kill isn’t only aimed at longtime Marvel fans who already know Frank Castle inside and out. He believes the special works as an entry point for newcomers too.
"So I think it's just, it's a lot of fun," he continued. "I think people who are fans and people who are non-fans can still appreciate the special. You know, someone like my mother has never seen The Punisher, I think she can appreciate where Frank is in his headspace, and then maybe she'll become a fan and then go watch Spider-Man. So I'm hoping that we can get some new audience members."
That approach makes a lot of sense for Marvel right now. Bernthal’s version of Frank Castle has always carried a heavier emotional edge than a lot of comic book antiheroes, and if One Last Kill digs deeper into where he is mentally before crossing paths with Peter Parker, it could make their inevitable clash even more intense.
Between Bernthal returning, Destin Daniel Cretton directing Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Marvel seemingly leaning into a rougher, street-level vibe for the film, this could end up being one of the coolest Spider-Man stories we’ve gotten in years.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31.