- The Punisher: One Last Kill has been released on Disney+
- Multiple Marvel fans have experienced audio issues with the MCU TV Special
- Others can’t stop poking fun at a specific visual effects-heavy scene
The Punisher: One Last Kill has made its Disney+ debut — but, while some viewers have enjoyed the new Marvel TV special, others have criticized some of its terrible visual effects (VFX) and audio issues.
Following the Special Presentation’s release, various forums and social platforms have been populated by comments from disgruntled fans.
Among the many criticisms that sections of the Marvel community have are its narrative pacing, threadbare plot, and short runtime. However, two particular problems stand tall above their counterparts because, according to Disney+ users, they completely ruined their viewing experience.
Chief among their concerns is The Punisher TV special’s sound mixing. Indeed, numerous people have taken to r/MarvelStudios, r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers, and the ResetEra forums to complain that they can’t hear anyone talk because the dialog volume is too low. Meanwhile, some who have a home cinema set up claim that they sound primarily comes through their rear speakers rather than the central channel.
“Is the dialogue level really low for anyone else? I can barely hear Frank speak,” one Redditor asked. “Is the sound mixing bad for anyone else? I have my TV volume twice as loud as usual and all the dialogue sounds like I’m listening through a wall”, another queried on Reddit.
Meanwhile, on the ResetEra forums, one user wrote: “My audio is all messed up. Just this. The other Disney+ stuff I tried is fine”, before someone replied: “Ok, so it wasn’t just my TV. I had to turn my volume almost all the way up just to hear the non action scenes”. “Yeah, [the] audio mix was weird on my end too,” another added. “Not sure if that was intentional or not. Felt appropriate to the vibe, but also was kind of annoying.”
“I am 100% certain they accidentally uploaded an incomplete sound-mix for Punisher One Last Kill,” one X/Twitter user wrote. “The dialogue is whisper quiet, the music is drowning out everything, and a bunch of sound effects that should be minor are louder than both.”
“Punisher: One Last Kill might be the worst thing the MCU has ever put out,” another X/Twitter user said in a damning verdict of the Marvel Phase 6 project. “Sound mixing is off. Unnecessary dog murder. Frank Castle is either crying or screaming the entire time. Waste of time. Worst portrayal of the character yet. Oh yeah he wears the skull for 5 seconds. 1/10.”
For what it’s worth, I’ve reached out to Disney for comment on this particular problem. At the time of publication, I hadn’t heard back, but I’ll update this article if I do.
That isn’t the only major gripe that Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) devotees had with The Punisher: One Last Kill. Indeed, others also hit out at and/or poked fun at some incredibly jarring VFX that appear in its second act.
“The Punisher: One Last Kill” has one of the worst CGI animations I have seen in years. Omg. Like…How is it possible that Jon Bernthal turns into a PS4 graphics replica of Joel Miller from The Last Of Us?! Wtf is Disney doing? pic.twitter.com/hZ9ZOnKK4mMay 13, 2026
The moment in question? A scene where Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle/The Punisher falls from one rooftop to a lower one as he escapes a couple of thugs who are trying to kill him.
As he lands, the titular anti-hero’s fall is broken by part of a metal roof ventilation system. Rather than Bernthal performing the stunt himself, though, it’s an action shot created using computer generated imagery (CGI) — and, despite the vast sums of money at Marvel and parent company Disney’s disposal, it does not look good. At all. And, unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for fans to roast the studios over this specific scene.
“CGI Frank Castle isn’t real. It can’t hurt you,” someone joked on ResetEra. “[That was] a bad moment of CGI when Frank fell off the roof and landed on an air conditioning unit or whatever that was,” another ResetEra user commented, before someone else said: “The digi-double when Frank falls from the roof was hilarious.”
Over on Reddit, one user amusingly asked: “Did anyone else catch that Xbox 360 render of Frank as he crashed into the air conditioning box on the roof?”, before another Redditor mocked the scene by saying “The VFX transformed Jon Bernthal into Joel from The Last of Us.”
What did you think of The Punisher: One Last Kill? Let me know in the comments. Once you’re done, read my article on The Punisher: One Last Kill’s ending to see if it sets up any future MCU movies or shows.
Read the full article here
