Marvel Studios Reportedly Weighing Whether the Punisher’s Next Chapter Should Be a Series or a Movie

Frank Castle has had a quietly remarkable run back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the past year, resurfacing after a long absence to remind audiences why Jon Bernthal’s take on the character became a fan favorite in the first place. What started as a modest, one-off special has now snowballed into something Marvel Studios appears genuinely excited to build on.

That comeback centers on ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill,’ the Disney+ special that found Bernthal’s vigilante wrestling with ghosts from his past while getting pulled back into violence by crime lord Ma Gnucci. The project marked Bernthal’s first extended MCU outing as Frank Castle, and it arrived as something of a gamble given how long the character had been dormant.

Now, fresh reporting suggests Marvel is seriously mapping out what comes next, and the studio hasn’t yet decided on the format. According to insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios is reportedly considering whether the sequel to ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ should be a full series or a feature film, a decision that would mark a significant scale-up from the character’s most recent under-an-hour outing.

This isn’t the first time word of a follow-up has surfaced. Shortly after ‘One Last Kill’ premiered in May, Richtman reported that Marvel had already given the green light to a new Punisher project, though details about its scope remained unknown at the time.

That early report noted Bernthal’s personal investment in the character, including his role co-writing and executive producing the special alongside director Reinaldo Marcus Green, as a key factor that could give him creative input on whatever comes next. The character’s momentum only grew from there, thanks in part to a prominent appearance in this summer’s ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day.’

Part of what makes a sequel feel inevitable is how ‘One Last Kill’ ended. The special deliberately left crime lord Ma Gnucci alive and on the board, after Frank chose to rescue a child rather than finish her off, setting up an obvious continuation of their conflict down the road.

Some reports have also floated the possibility of Barracuda entering the picture as a future antagonist, a comic-accurate villain created by writer Garth Ennis who is often described as Punisher’s twisted mirror image. Nothing about casting or a creative team has been confirmed, but the pieces already on the board suggest Marvel has a clear direction in mind even if the format is still being sorted out.

The choice between a series and a film isn’t just a budgeting question, it also signals how much narrative real estate Marvel believes Frank Castle’s story deserves going forward. A limited series would allow for the kind of slow-burn, morally messy storytelling that made the original Netflix ‘Punisher’ series resonate with fans, while a feature film would position the character for a bigger theatrical push alongside the MCU’s ongoing street-level expansion.

Marvel has not officially confirmed any of this reporting, and there’s still no word on a timeline, additional cast members, or who might write and direct the project. Bernthal himself has stayed quiet on the rumors so far, leaving fans to speculate based on scattered insider reports rather than any official studio announcement.

Given how well ‘One Last Kill’ was received and how much unfinished business remains with Ma Gnucci, it’s easy to see why Marvel would want to keep the momentum going in whatever form makes the most sense. Whether Frank Castle’s next chapter unfolds across a full season or in a single theatrical release, it’s clear the studio views this corner of the MCU as one worth continuing to invest in.

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