The MCU has been making a point of softening some of its darker characters to accommodate the overall tone of the franchise. Frank Castle was always the one who didn’t conform.
Jon Bernthal’s take on the role was still raw, angry, and actually dangerous. Now, ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ is on another level altogether, though. The new special isn’t merely Frank returning, but a reimagining of him as more of a horror legend in the MCU’s criminal underworld. And honestly, the comparisons to ‘John Wick’ suddenly make a lot of sense.
‘One Last Kill’ Gives Frank Castle His Own ‘John Wick’ Pencil Moment
A bounty is placed on Frank’s head by Ma Gnucci, and all the criminals in Little Sicily begin to hunt him down. The scene already reminds one of John Wick’s world, where assassins and gangsters treat one man like an unstoppable force of nature. However, the real selling point of the comparison is the fact that the MCU embraces Frank’s mythology.
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One of the most brilliant things about ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ is that it demonstrates the power of storytelling to instill fear before he’s even in the room. Just as John Wick’s infamous Pencil Kill was a part of his legend, Frank has his own brutal calling card.
The highlight of the show is when Frank gets stabbed in a cafe fight by a huge thug with a screwdriver. He doesn’t fall, but instead seizes a blue pen and savages him with it in one of the most violent scenes ever seen in a Marvel film.
That scene is important because it alters the perception of the MCU regarding the Punisher. He’s no longer a mere street vigilante. He is turning into the sort of character that thieves talk about, a character almost mythical in his ferocity.
MCU Is Also Giving Frank Castle A New Emotional Core
The ‘John Wick’ parallels don’t stop at the action, though. The special also reflects Wick’s emotional underpinning in a subplot concerning an innocent man who has a dog senselessly killed in the chaos of Little Sicily. Frank eventually finds the thug who is responsible and dispenses justice on the grieving owner’s behalf.
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It’s an unexpectedly heartbreaking beat amidst all the bloodshed, and it’s a reminder of an important thing about The Punisher: even under rage, Frank is still the protector for ordinary people. That’s what makes his future in the MCU so intriguing.
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