Frank’s Final Fight - ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ Trailer Ignites a Brutal War
Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle Returns for a Gritty, High-Stakes Showdown Apparently Against the Gnucci Crime Family
The official trailer for ‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’, a Marvel Television Special Presentation, depicts a battle-worn and bearded Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) attempting to lead a quiet life in New York City while struggling with heavy PTSD and psychological hallucinations of his deceased comrades. His attempt at peace is shattered when his apartment is set on fire and a local syndicate begins victimizing a young girl in his neighborhood, forcing him back into action. The trailer showcases a dark, elegiac tone, blending visceral violence - such as Frank fighting while literally on fire - with personal moments, including a returning (possibly as a memory) Curtis Hoyle (Jason R. Moore) and glimpses of the Gnucci crime family. Most notably, there is a giant ‘Gnucci’ sign behind Frank as he points a gun right at the camera, standing in his iconic skull insignia armor.
In the comics, the Gnucci Crime Family is a massive New York City mob syndicate led by its ruthless matriarch, Isabella "Ma" Gnucci. Created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, they were the primary antagonists in the seminal 2000 limited series Welcome Back, Frank. Ma Gnucci ruled with her three sons - Carlo, Bobby, and "Sticky" Eddie - and her brother/underboss Dino. Frank systematically eliminated all of them, starting with the sons to announce his return to New York. There are many infamous sequences in this story line including a chase through Central Park Zoo. Frank lured Ma Gnucci and her guards into the polar bear enclosure, and while the guards were killed, Ma survived but lost her scalp and all four limbs to the bears, becoming a quadruple amputee. Despite her injuries, a limb-less Ma offered a $10 million reward for Frank's head and hired the near-superhuman assassin known as The Russian. That character has already made an appearance in The Punisher film from 2004 with Thomas Jane in the titular role. The Russian at the time was played by the mountain of a man and former wrestler, Kevin Nash, and made for some of the most memorable scenes in that entire film.