The Punisher Gets Solo Disney+ Special in May

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Following his roles in the recent Daredevil: Born Again and an upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day appearance, Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as the Punisher in a dedicated special coming to Disney+ this summer.

Called The Punisher: One Last Kill, the show showcases Jon Bernthal’s portrayal of Frank Castle, a character he first played within Marvel’s Netflix television shows. After appearing in season two of Daredevil on Netflix, Bernthal went on to star in his own Punisher series on the streaming platform, which lasted for two seasons.

Marvel is presenting this as a special, standalone event – it’s a single story, not a series you’ll see week after week.

The Punisher first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man comic in 1974, created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. He became popular through guest appearances and eventually gained enough fans to star in his own monthly comic book series. In the 1990s, his popularity peaked with four different Punisher comic books being published each month.

The character had become quite popular, perhaps too much so, but he’s successfully returned in several newer, more adult-focused books. Before Jon Bernthal took on the role, the Punisher was portrayed in films by Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane, and Ray Stevenson.

Disney+ will release The Punisher: One Last Kill on May 12th, the same day the second season of Daredevil: Born Again finishes. It’s a bit ironic—and darkly humorous—for Disney+ to promote a special called One Last Kill, but it’s sure to be entertaining for viewers!

10 TV Episodes So Controversial They Were Banned

The Twilight Zone Season 5, Episode 31 “The Encounter”

“The Encounter” is a particularly disturbing episode of The Twilight Zone, even for that series. It was so unsettling, dealing with difficult themes of racial tension and the lingering effects of World War II, that it was removed from television after its initial broadcast in 1964 – a unique fate for any Twilight Zone installment. Despite this, “The Encounter” is a well-made episode that directly addresses the anxieties felt by both Americans and Japanese people after the war. It centers on a white American man and a young Japanese man (played by George Takei) trapped in an attic with a cursed sword, which intensifies their already strained relationship as they both struggle with guilt and anger related to the war. CBS ultimately decided not to air the episode again due to viewer complaints about the white man’s repeated use of offensive language and the generally negative portrayal of both characters.

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 8 “Miri”

As a big fan of classic sci-fi, I’ve always appreciated how Star Trek: The Original Series wasn’t afraid to tackle really tough questions. Some of their best episodes are the ones that really make you think. Take “Miri,” for example. The Enterprise crew lands on a planet where everyone is a child – the only survivors of a virus that kills people as soon as they hit puberty. It’s a race against time for Kirk and the crew to find a cure, but the kids are understandably wary and the disease itself is a real threat. Dr. McCoy manages to pull a solution out of the bag at the last minute, thankfully. It’s a pretty intense episode, and it actually got banned by the BBC after the first showing! They received a lot of complaints, and for years the BBC refused to air it – or a couple of other Trek episodes like “Plato’s Stepchildren” and “The Empath” – claiming the content was too disturbing for children.

Beavis and Butt-head Season 3, Episode 4 “Incognito”

It’s no surprise that this episode of Beavis and Butt-Head caused controversy. In it, Beavis and Butt-Head disrupt class by throwing things until they upset a classmate named Earl, who threatens them with a gun. The next day, they try to avoid Earl at school, but their confrontation is interrupted when a stray bullet comes through the window. The teacher takes Earl’s gun, and he thanks Beavis and Butt-Head for not accusing him of firing the shot. Considering the country’s heightened awareness of gun violence and school shootings, this unusual episode hasn’t been aired or released on DVD or Blu-ray since its original broadcast.

The X-Files Season 4, Episode 2 “Home”

Often considered the most disturbing episode of The X-Files, “Home” centers around Mulder and Scully investigating a possible infanticide in a small town. They discover a deeply unsettling truth: three brothers have been breeding with their own mother, who was believed to be a paralyzed quadruple amputee following a car accident, and secretly burying the resulting deformed children. Written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, returning to the show with the intention of testing television’s limits (and partially inspired by a story from Charlie Chaplin’s life), the episode received a rare TV-MA rating and was only aired once by Fox after its initial broadcast – on Halloween in 1999.

Pokémon Season 1, Episode 38 “Computer Warrior Porygon”

Another well-known banned episode centers around a Pokémon broadcast that caused health problems for many children. Hundreds experienced seizures, and over 600 people required hospital treatment after viewing scenes with rapidly flashing lights. The episode featured Ash and his friends battling Team Rocket with the Pokémon Porygon while investigating a problem at a Pokémon Center. The flashing lights occurred when Pikachu destroyed digital missiles, preventing them from reaching the real world. Due to the incident, known as “Pokémon Shock,” the episode was immediately pulled from the air and was never shown in any country outside of Japan; its only official title remains the original Japanese one, “Dennō Senshi Porygon.”

Dexter’s Laboratory Season 2 “Rude Removal”

It’s not shocking that the Dexter’s Laboratory episode called “Rude Removal” never aired on TV. The episode featured intentionally obnoxious versions of Dexter and his sister Dee Dee who caused chaos and used bad language. Even with the profanity censored, Cartoon Network deemed it inappropriate for its young audience. The title sequence alone – showing rude Dexter exposing himself and rude Dee Dee giving a hand gesture – hinted at the episode’s content. Eventually, in 2013, fifteen years after it was made, the episode was released online through Adult Swim.

South Park Season 5, Episode 3 “Super Best Friends”

Everyone knows South Park is famous for its edgy humor, but sometimes it goes too far. While many episodes have been considered controversial, the episode “Super Best Friends” stands out. It features depictions of religious figures, including the prophet Muhammad, which is a sensitive topic for many. Surprisingly, when it first aired, it didn’t cause much of a stir – it is South Park, and the episode was also satirizing media censorship. However, about ten years later, some Muslim groups protested the reappearance of Muhammad’s image in later episodes, leading South Park Studios to remove “Super Best Friends” from its website.

Peppa Pig Season 1, Episode 47 “Mister Skinnylegs”

You might be surprised to learn that an episode of Peppa Pig is actually banned! It wasn’t due to anything offensive like religious insults or violence, but because of an episode called “Mister Skinnylegs.” The episode is simple: Peppa learns not to fear a spider her brother finds. While teaching kids not to be afraid of bugs is generally a good thing, it’s a problem in Australia, which has many dangerous spiders. Australian television decided it wasn’t a good idea to portray spiders as friendly, so they banned both “Mister Skinnylegs” and “Spider Web” from being shown.

Hannibal Season 1, Episode 4 “Oeuf”

The TV show Hannibal frequently featured graphic content, but the episode “Oeuf” was particularly disturbing. It centered on kidnapped boys who were manipulated into killing their birth families to create bonds with new ones. Creator Bryan Fuller asked the network to delay airing the episode, initially thought to be due to the recent Boston Marathon bombing. Fuller later revealed the decision stemmed from the national grief following the Sandy Hook school shooting. While NBC didn’t broadcast it at the time, clips were released online, and the full episode eventually became available on Amazon Prime and on DVD/Blu-ray.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 9, Episode 9 “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6”

As a fan, I’ve always known It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia doesn’t approve of what its characters do – they’re awful people! – but the show definitely isn’t afraid to go too far. One example is the episode “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6,” where they try to get investors for a terrible sequel they made themselves after Frank backed out. The footage was shockingly bad and included really offensive stuff, even featuring two actors in blackface. Following the conversations about racism in Hollywood in 2020, that episode, along with some others from Always Sunny and shows like Community, were taken off streaming services. The show even acknowledged it later in an episode called “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7.”

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2026-03-24 17:27