If you’re a fan of comic book heroes, rough-and-tumble action and vigilante justice, you’ve probably already seen Marvel’s latest special “The Punisher: One Last Kill.” The film marks the return of Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, as he fights against organized crime and contends with his own tragic past. Like many MCU outings, “One Last Kill” takes place in New York City, primarily in neighborhoods including Brooklyn and Queens.
True to the gritty nature of the character, the project was filmed entirely on-location in the Big Apple, with units spread out all over the five boroughs. If you’re interested in checking out filming locations for “One Last Kill” yourself, be sure to read ahead. We’ll outline a few key sites where production took place, along with some local approved restaurants, hotels and tourist excursions. Before long, you could be walking in the very same streets as the Punisher himself. Hopefully, you’ll encounter significantly less crime and significantly more good eats, group events and photo opportunities.
Your Guide To Marvel’s New York Filming Locations
Key Scenes: As MCU Location Scout notes, “The Punisher: One Last Kill” was captured on location across numerous New York City locales. Areas that receive extensive focus within the film include Richmond Hill in Queens, where crews shut down public access for days on end. These areas, like 117th Street between Myrtle and Hillside Ave, were used to capture exterior subway shots, where Frank confronts mobsters and engages in violent shootouts. The Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn is also prominently highlighted in the special, as Frank spends a lot of time grieving his deceased family and friends. While most of the indoor shots were captured on soundstages in and around New York, exteriors include the 1199 Housing Plaza at 2080 1st Ave in East Harlem. This backdrop serves as the Punisher’s apartment and base of operations.
Best Time to Visit: Though NYC is known to be beautiful year-round, those looking to make the pilgrimage should primarily consider showing up in the mid-spring season. Months like April and May are ideal for exploring the Big Apple, thanks to the fair weather, sparser crowds and access to outdoor events.
Transportation Options: If you’re used to seeing New York City represented on the big screen, you probably already know that the area touts one of the most robust public transit grids in the nation. This means you should have no trouble navigating the city using trains, buses, taxi cabs and rideshare apps. If you’re really trying to make a point to check out every single filming location for “The Punisher: One Last Kill,” it may be necessary to rent a car just for simplicity. Still, most locations can be scouted while performing basic tourist activities, so spending the extra money shouldn’t feel like a requirement.
To bring the entire production to life, Disney set designers worked tirelessly. They built many of the Little Sicily sections of the special using practical effects, shooting in various street corners and outdoor settings in Queens.
One Reddit user described their experience watching the production unfold while “One Last Kill” was shooting just outside their NYC apartment. In the thread, they correctly surmised, “The antagonist for the special seems to be Ma Gnucci,” before explaining, “On this same block they repurposed an old movie theater to serve as ‘Gnucci’s Restaurant,’ which is visible in the trailer in the scene where Punisher suits up for the movie.”
Things to Do: Whether you’re hunting down “Punisher” filming locations or not, New York has a myriad of exciting excursions to check out. Depending on what part of the city you’re in, you can catch a Broadway show, pay your respects at the 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero, or see street performers put on the show of a lifetime while doing some shopping in Times Square. Obviously, the Statue of Liberty is a must-see attraction for any first-time visitor, while more seasoned NYC commuters know to check out museums including the Guggenheim, the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum or the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Where to Eat: New York is known for many things, but the cuisine is arguably the most famous element of the entire city. All five boroughs are packed to the gills with street vendors, corner markets, bodegas, and upscale restaurants to sate all your culinary desires. Whether you’re looking for a chopped cheese with oxtail or a simple $1.50 slice of New York pizza, it’ll be hard to go wrong. Some fan-favorite sit-down restaurants in the area include Carmine’s Time Square, Sarabeth’s Upper West Side and the Golden Unicorn Restaurant.
Where to Stay: Since New York is buzzing with so much activity, it can be incredibly hard to get an affordable hotel room. If money isn’t an object for you, you should be sure to snag a luxury suite at an upscale place like the EVEN Hotel, 1 Hotel Central Park or The Peninsula New York, where rooms can run upwards of $1,200 per night. For most, the best move is to check out chain hotels just outside the city and commute in for individual excursions throughout the day. Others may find luck relying on credit card loyalty points or booking a cheap stay through Airbnb.
Frequently Asked Questions
What mental disorder does Punisher have?
Though Frank Castle is not properly diagnosed with any conventional mental disorder in “One Last Kill,” his actions and struggles seem to match with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Some mental health professionals would also suggest a potential diagnosis of trauma-induced obsessive behavior and shades of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The character is extremely damaged by his dark, twisted past, which informs his actions throughout the special, with both positive and negative results.
What to watch before “Punisher: One Last Kill”?
Though “One Last Kill” fits squarely into the canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you really don’t need to watch any of the other movies and shows to understand the core narrative. The special is designed to be enjoyed by MCU super-fans and casual viewers alike, so don’t worry about binge-viewing dozens of Marvel projects before going in. Of course, if you’re looking to truly squeeze the most out of your viewing experience, you can always brush up on previous Jon Bernthal Punisher entries in the franchise, including “Daredevil” season two, Netflix’s “The Punisher, and the recently released “Daredevil: Born Again” series on Disney+.
