The rave reviews of The Punisher: One Last Kill would have come as a relief to Jon Bernthal, who, according to director Reinaldo Marcus Green, actually doused himself in fire for a particular scene. In a recent interview, the renowned filmmaker revealed that Bernthal performed the fire stunt on his own in what was one of the most intense sequences of the special.

Reinaldo Marcus Green breaks down The Punisher: One Last Kill’s fire scene

During a recent conversation, the King Richard director confirmed that Jon Bernthal literally set himself ablaze while filming a scene in One Last Kill.

“Legit flames, legit practical flames, and everyone was trying to walk him off the ledge, myself included,” Reinaldo Marcus Green noted to ScreenRant. “I’m like, ‘You sure you want to do this? But if you want to go back, we’re going to go back for you to do this.’ But it’s not for the faint of heart to put yourself through that kind of experience, but to watch Jon, the preparation for doing that, but he didn’t do it to look cool. I think that’s what makes Jon so special. He did it because it was important to the story, it was important to the character.”

Green also lauded Bernthal’s commitment to the 51-minute special, stating, “To put yourself through that type of risk because it’s a character moment, I think that’s a testament to how important the Punisher is to Jon, to the fans, and why we wanted that moment to feel so real.”

The filmmaker further appreciated the His & Hers actor for choosing to take such a massive risk for a scene that ended up being a pivotal moment for Frank Castle’s arc in the MCU. “It’s all driven by story, and that’s a critical moment in the special where it’s a turning point for Jon’s character, but to have your number one on the call sheet put himself on fire, it’s pretty special to say the least,” he said.

Jon Bernthal will next reprise his role of The Punisher in the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is on track to hit theaters on July 31, 2026.