Marvel Just Nuked Its Favorite Netflix Trope - And There's No Going Back
Whenever I think about the Netflix era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first thing that comes to mind is Daredevil’s amazing one-take hallway fights. They set a tone that followed the street-level subgenre forever and remains a staple.
With Disney+’s new Special Presentation, The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026), everything has changed. Now, the trope that was so iconic pales in comparison to the level of action and violence Frank Castle has doled out to dozens of criminals in 10 minutes. Here’s why it’s so epic, and how it changed Marvel’s Netflix presence for the better.
The Hallways Fight Was A Staple For Marvel Netflix
During the Netflix era of Marvel shows, hallway fights quickly became the norm after Daredevil introduced them. Each season of his show has had at least one one-take fight, even into Daredevil: Born Again (2025).
However, other characters have had them in that time as well, including the Punisher, who had his in Daredevil Season 2. Luke Cage had his own set to Wu-Tang Clan, and even the much-maligned Iron Fist (2017) series had a hallway fight designed to lean into its kung fu inspiration.
Hallway fights were the pinnacle of street-level action for Marvel properties to the point that even She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) made fun of the trope. But with The Punisher: One Last Kill, it became more about telling a story through an extended fight sequence rather than leaning into a single take being the only gimmick. In just a few minutes, it forcibly retired Netflix’s greatest trope and took things even further.
‘The Punisher: One Last Kill’ Elevated Everything About The Hallway Fight
The Punisher: One Last Kill set Frank up for the fight of his life. His revenge-driven acts as the Punisher put him in the crosshairs of mob boss, Ma Gnucci. With a bounty on his head, his entire apartment complex becomes a war zone.
Frank starts the fight in his neighbor’s apartment, stabbing any mercenary that gets in his way. From there, he gets his hands on some guns and hops down another level, protecting people along the way. The fight takes him down some stairs, where he uses his training to clear each story.
From the roof, Frank kills multiple men with guns and pipes before making it back down to the streets. Choosing to save a life rather than hunt down Ma Gnucci, his violent bout ends after he stabs a mercenary to death. While it isn’t a one-take fight sequence like Netflix’s Daredevil, seeing Frank kill enemies in various settings with tactical precision is impressive. More than that, it becomes a display of power for the character that makes me want to see the same level of care given to every MCU hero’s fighting style.
This New Era Of Violence For Marvel Changes Everything
The Punisher: One Last Kill is a Special Presentation that had to happen for Frank Castle in the MCU. It’s important to establish who he is as a character, how brutal he is, and why he should never be even remotely considered an Avenger. It’s key to establish that his brutality is also necessary in certain parts of the world where traditional heroes could never get to.
The violence of One Last Kill’s extended hallway and apartment shootout also proves that the franchise can deliver action befitting of its characters in the best way possible. Frank is put to the test over multiple floors and even in the streets, and the level of violence that comes with it is integral. It completely ends the single-setting fights that made the Netflix era of Marvel famous and evolved it to be something even more.
The Punisher: One Last Kill’s big action sequence isn’t about making the Punisher more Disney-friendly. Now, it’s only a matter of time before more characters, like Blade, get to deliver an equal amount of brutality in his own hallways—hopefully reminiscent of fights like the ones in Blade (1998). The Punisher: One Last Kill is brutal and hits hard. As Frank cleared floor after floor of his apartment building, he changed the face of the MCU forever and put to rest Marvel’s best Netflix trope.
