Lindsay Lohan’s latest red carpet appearance has social media doing double takes after fans claimed the actress looked almost impossible to recognize. 

The former child star stepped out at Disney’s 2026 Upfront event in New York City looking polished, youthful, and noticeably refreshed, immediately sparking fresh cosmetic surgery speculation online. 

While some fans praised her glowing transformation, others questioned whether the “Mean Girls” icon now looks more like other Hollywood actresses than herself as debates over her evolving appearance quickly exploded across social media.

Lindsay Lohan became one of the most talked-about stars of Disney’s 2026 Upfront after arriving on the red carpet in a dramatic couture gown that instantly grabbed attention online.

The actress wore a strapless ivory-and-black embroidered Ashi Studio Fall/Winter 2025 Couture dress while attending the New York City event. 

Her glowing complexion and youthful appearance quickly became the bigger headline, however, with social media users immediately flooding Reddit with reactions.

Many fans admitted they struggled to recognize the “Freaky Friday” actress at first glance. “Thought this was Julia Roberts. Unrecognizable,” one commenter wrote.

Another social media user compared Lohan to another actress entirely, claiming she looked “nothing” like herself and instead resembled “Mandy Moore.”

Others were equally stunned by the transformation. “If you would have shown me [this photo of Lohan] and offered me $100 to guess who that was, I can tell you my wallet would still be empty,” another person joked.

Lindsay Lohan Receives More Mixed Reactions From Fans

Some other Redditors slammed Lohan for lying about going under the knife and attributing her transformation to healthy living. 

One person commented, “I don’t care if a celeb wants to get a face lift / major work done, but what I can’t stand is when a celeb straight up lies about it, the way Lindsay tried to claim her new face is the result of “drinking green juices” or whatever.”

Despite the criticism, some fans praised her refreshed appearance, with one user calling her alleged “facelift” the version “everyone else tries to emulate.”

Another user wrote, “Lot of haters in these comments, but I’m glad to see one of the childhood stars I grew up with land back on her feet. I loved her then and I love her now. We all went through some sh-t. Get it girl.”

Lohan Faces Renewed Cosmetic Surgery Speculation

The online frenzy surrounding Lindsay Lohan’s appearance quickly reignited long-running rumors about whether she has undergone cosmetic procedures.

The actress has faced years of speculation about possible fillers, Botox, or surgical enhancements as fans compare her current look to earlier phases of her career.

However, Lohan herself has consistently denied undergoing plastic surgery. Back in May 2025, she addressed the ongoing rumors during an interview with Chloe Fineman for an Elle cover story. 

While discussing beauty and aging in Hollywood, Lohan explained that her routine centers more on skincare and wellness than surgery. “Everyone does Botox,” she admitted during the conversation.

However, when asked directly about her beauty secrets, Lohan responded honestly, “Oh, God, I don’t even know how to answer that.” 

Lindsay Lohan Credits Wellness And Skincare For Her Glow

Rather than crediting cosmetic treatments, Lohan pointed toward healthy habits and skincare as the real reason behind her wrinkle-free complexion.

The 39-year-old revealed that she started every morning with a homemade juice made from “carrot, ginger, lemon, olive oil, apple.” 

She also said hydration played a major role in her beauty routine. “I also drink a lot of green tea, a lot of water,” Lohan shared.

The Hollywood star added that she regularly ate pickled beets and included them in many meals. “I’m a big pickled beets person, so I put them in almost everything,” she explained.

Her skincare routine is equally intense. Lohan detailed habits that include splashing her face with ice-cold water each morning, adding chia seeds to her water, and using daily eye patches.

Lohan Reveals How Dubai Changed Her Lifestyle

Lindsay Lohan has largely stepped away from the nonstop Hollywood spotlight since moving to Dubai in 2014.

The “Freaky Friday” actress has often spoken positively about the calmer lifestyle she found in the United Arab Emirates, where she now spends much of her time away from paparazzi and public chaos.

This week, amid the latest speculation surrounding her appearance, Lohan gave a special shoutout to her longtime dermatologist, Dr. Radmila Lukian.

Posting a smiling selfie to Instagram Stories, she admitted her skin was struggling while traveling away from Dubai. “My skin can definitely tell,” she wrote per the Daily Mail. She also tagged Lukian and added, “Can’t wait to be back.” 

The dermatologist appears to have played a major role in Lohan’s skincare journey over the years. 

Lukian even has a pinned Instagram photo with the actress from December 2024 alongside the caption, “Trust and confidence are the foundation of our relationship.”

How does Prime Video do it?

Amazon’s streamer keeps expanding its already impressive digital library by adding one hit after another. The online platform is now home to the six-time Oscar-winning action-drama One Battle After Another, which is scheduled to be added on Saturday, May 23.

That Leonardo DiCaprio-starring movie is already a masterpiece, but Watch With Us has found a couple of other modern classics that are worth adding to your queue.

Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing is just as potent now as it was when it sparked a firestorm of conversation in 1989, while the gory horror classic The Return of the Living Dead might make you swear off meat for the rest of your life.

‘One Battle After Another’ (2025)

Is it possible for a movie to already be considered a “masterpiece” only eight months after it was released? In One Battle After Another’s case, the answer is a resounding yes. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Bob Ferguson, a burned-out former revolutionary who has been hiding from the authorities for nearly two decades. When his 16-year-old daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), becomes the target of an old adversary, Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), Bob has to reunite his anti-establishment buddies, the French 75, to stop Lockjaw and save Willa from being killed.

Related: New on Prime Video in May 2026 — The Complete List of Movies and TV Shows

Unlike other streamers in May, Prime Video is throwing its weight behind its streaming shows. With the long-awaited return of Citadel debuting early and Nicolas Cage‘s intriguing Spider-Man spinoff, Spider-Noir, closing out the month, Prime Video is embracing its TV division like never before. Movie lovers shouldn’t fret, though — there’s plenty of films being […]

Loosely adapted from Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie imagines an America ruled by secret societies and a fascist government. Mixing action, satire and drama, the movie paints a rich portrait of a country still divided by class warfare and racial tensions, yet populated with citizens who hope and work for a better future. Anderson’s direction is superb, with the car chase in Borrego Springs, California, already a classic worthy of comparison to Bullitt and The French Connection, while the performances from Penn, Infini, and three-time Oscar winner Penn are vivid and heartbreaking. Years from now, when people want to see what 2025 looked and felt like, they’ll watch One Battle After Another.

‘Do the Right Thing’ (1989)

It’s summertime in Brooklyn, and it’s already too hot for Mookie (Spike Lee). He’s a twentysomething pizza deliveryman for Sal (Danny Aiello), an Italian American whose clientele is mostly Black. That doesn’t prevent him and his son, Pino (John Turturro), from showing contempt for the community that helps them thrive. As the temperature rises, so do the uneasy tensions between the diverse communities that live side-by-side. When a shocking act of violence sends everyone over the edge, Mookie, Sal and the rest of the neighborhood will never be the same again.

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Do the Right Thing was recently named the best movie of the 1980s, and we won’t argue with that. Dramatic, funny, thrilling, shocking and sad, it’s the rare movie that transcends all genres and perfectly captures a moment in time that we’re still experiencing today. In addition to the fantastic writing and directing by Lee, the movie boasts knockout performances from Aiello, Bill Nunn, Giancarlo Esposito and Rosie Perez as Mookie’s live-wire baby mama. Do the Right Thing is the rare masterpiece that feels alive every time you watch it.

‘The Return of the Living Dead’ (1985)

When toxic gas is accidentally released from an old Army canister in Louisville, Kentucky, all hell breaks loose — and the dead rise from their graves to feast on brains, brains and more brains. A group of teens is stuck in a cemetery when these zombies come a-calling, and they have to survive the night with few resources, an acid rain storm and a growing horde of the undead chasing them. How do you kill what’s already dead? That’s the question they’ll all have to answer if they’re going to make it out alive.

The Return of the Living Dead has nothing to do with George A. Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead franchise, save for some slow-moving zombies and some snarky social commentary. This homage is more violent, though, with some pretty gnarly kills and all sorts of decomposed bodies on display. It’s not for the faint of heart, especially when that organ and others are consumed so vociferously — and so graphically. I can’t think of another horror film that mixes such macabre humor, shocking violence and blunt nihilism as The Return of the Living Dead, which makes it the rare masterpiece you probably never want to watch ever again.

Go to Paris and you’ll see all the locals wearing chic sandals. This is especially true for Parisian rich moms, who make every outing an excuse to turn heads without sacrificing comfort. The secret is having the right pair of sandals, and these 13 classy numbers do it right. They look straight from Avenue Montaigne.

With buttery-soft straps, elegant silhouettes, cushioned soles and versatile styles, these Parisian-looking sandals check every box. They deliver understated polish with comfort that earns repeat wears. Oh, and our favorites start at just $8. Scroll on!

13 Comfy Parisian Rich Mom Sandals — From $8

1. Our Favorite: These classy everyday slides slip on in seconds and read elegant enough for lunch in the 6th arrondissement. Seriously, you’ll wear them nonstop.

2. Logging Miles: Imagine clocking 15,000 steps through a museum without foot pain. That’s the promise of these low-wedge sandals that we especially like in this crisp summer white shade.

3. Fun Colors: One clean band, a square open toe and a $20 price tag make these light blue slides a top pick. They prove that quiet luxury doesn’t mean boring.

4. Trendy T-Strap: Long walks call for support, but you don’t want chunky orthotics. These plush thong sandals bring the comfort of inserts and the style of high-end boutique style.

5. Elevated Flip-Flops: If you think flip-flops are off limits, think again! These beach-ready shoes nail a coastal Marseilles aesthetic.

Related: Cool Girls Are Retiring Chunky Sneakers for These Sleek Styles, From $10

Chunky sneakers had their moment, but cool girls are ditching statement soles for sleek, understated alternatives. These 13 flat sneakers are just as comfy, but are much more polished. They’re everywhere in New York, Los Angeles, Paris and beyond! These classy kicks come from brands like Adidas, Nike, Sam Edelman and Guess. And while they […]

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6. From the Box: Soft leather and a flat construction make these purple leather slides feel broken-in from day one — no blisters in the process.

7. Luxe Leopard: When plain sandals feel too quiet, opt for these double-strap slides. They feature a leopard print that adds polish and sass.

8. Skechers Sandals: July days call for airflow. Thankfully, these Skechers mini-wedge sandals have a perforated upper for enhanced breathability.

9. Square-Toe Stunner: The square toe on these stylish shoes appear more modern than rounded silhouettes. The slip-on construction makes mornings simple.

10. Just $8: Toss these travel-friendly slides in your tote for vacation. They survive sand, pool decks and the walk back to the rental. At $8, you can afford to get them in black, too.

11. Extra Secure: Slip-on shoes that slip off get old. These gold-toned sandals have an ankle strap to secure your foot for actual walking, not just lounging on the patio.

12. Totally Waterproof: Water-friendly material makes these Reef platform sandals the rare combination of functional and fashionable. We adore the color options.

13. Wear-Everywhere Staple: These champagne flip-flops transition nicely from the hotel pool ‘fits to outdoor café attire. The memory foam footbed makes them feel like you’re walking on clouds.

Related: Black Flats Are Everywhere! Nail the Celeb-Approved Look, From $7

If you think you’re seeing black ballet flats wherever you go, that’s because you are! Rich moms wear them nonstop, as do A-listers like Katie Holmes, Jennifer Lawrence and Kendall Jenner. The right black flats are the classy, just-as-comfy alternative to sneakers, and we found 13 pairs that fit the description. These black flats feature […]

Hayden Panettiere is claiming a major beauty brand ended its association with her amid her battle with postpartum depression.

The Heroes actress details her mental health struggles after welcoming daughter Kaya in 2011 in her upcoming memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, an excerpt of which was published by The Cut on Tuesday, May 12.

Panettiere, 36, writes candidly about abusing alcohol to cope with her depression and her various stints in rehab during her time on the hit show Nashville.

“One day early in season 4, I arrived on set bleary-eyed, still shaking off the effects of my [insomnia] meds the night before. I’ve never been a morning person, but on the medication, I was a zombie,” she shares. “I couldn’t go on set like that, so I decided that before getting into the makeup chair I’d put my head down for a nap. Two hours later, I woke up in the hospital.”

Related: Hayden Panettiere’s Ups and Downs Over the Years

Hayden Panettiere has had quite the career — and her personal life has been just as captivating. The Golden Globe-nominated actress started modeling at 5 months old and appeared in her first commercial when she was 11 months old. Her big break came in 1994 when she began playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live at […]

“‘What happened?’ I asked, my eyes darting from one end of my room to another. ‘I have no memory of coming here. Did something happen to me?’” the actress adds. “A kind nurse who was about to take my vital signs spoke up. ‘Someone at your work found you asleep on the sofa and couldn’t wake you up. So, she called an ambulance.’”

During Nashville’s fourth season, Panettiere’s character, Juliette Barnes, was temporarily written out to facilitate her going to rehab, but she said she lost another job.

“The producers had no choice but to write me out of the script temporarily — something that killed me because I’d always prided myself on my professionalism — and I issued a statement about where I was going and why,” she writes. “My fans and the press were hugely sympathetic — and I’ll always be grateful for that — but a part of my career I’d come to depend on suffered. Neutrogena canceled my long-standing contract, and it was yet another blow in a year that had given almost nothing else.”

Panettiere, who appeared in various advertising campaigns for Neutrogena, alluded to her partnership with the brand ending in her recent Us Weekly cover story.

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Related: Hayden Panettiere Slams Claims She Abandoned Daughter by Giving Up Custody

Hayden Panettiere is clearing up the circumstances surrounding her decision to give full custody of her daughter, Kaya, to ex Wladimir Klitschko. “The idea that anyone would think that I would just give away my child and be OK with it is heartbreaking and couldn’t be further from the truth,” Panettiere, 36, said during a […]

“I talk about traumatic moments and things that people don’t even know about,” she exclusively told Us of writing about the darkest chapters of her life. “The abuse I went through at the hands of people that were supposed to be there to protect me. Admitting to all of the things that I did. I knew if I was going to do this, I wanted to be brutally, painfully honest. When I was honest about postpartum depression on Live With Kelly and Michael [in 2015], the repercussions were shocking. After that interview, I had no idea when I walked off that stage that I was going to get the call saying, ‘Neutrogena wants to fire you. They’re not OK with this.’ And you’re going, ‘Wait a second, of all the things, how can they judge me about something that is so human and so real?’”

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Us Weekly has reached out to Neutrogena’s parent company, Kenvue, for comment.

This Is Me: A Reckoning is published on Tuesday, May 19.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Just like the character, James Bond theme songs are always shrouded in mystery, danger, glamour, power and death. The song plays a pivotal role setting the stage for Bond’s adventures and normally plays during the title sequence after the opening scene. The list of iconic artists that have performed Bond theme songs includes Shirley Bassey, Carly Simon, Sheena Easton, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, Adele, Sam Smith and Billie Eilish, to name a few.

Many Bond theme songs are sweeping orchestral ballads, but others run the gamut between straight-up rock to a more pop-forward rock sound on some of the themes from the 80s. For the sake of this list, most ballads and soft rock songs have been eliminated, unless guitar is prominently featured. For instance, Sheryl Crow’s guitar forward anthem “Tomorrow Never Dies” is on the list below, but the Carly Simon, Sheena Easton and Tina Turner 007 themes will not appear because of a lack of rock-and-roll sound. While some of these songs lean heavily into the pop category, they all feature prominent guitar work and have some aspects of a rock-and-roll sensibility and attitude. Ranked by sound, legacy and purely how much it rocks, here is every James Bond rock theme song, ranked.

8

“Another Way to Die” by Jack White and Alicia Keys From ‘Quantum of Solace’ (2008)

Jack White and Alicia Keys teamed up for the first and only Bond duet on the bombastic “Another Way to Die,” The song was written, produced and mixed by White for 2008’s Quantum of Solace, and features him on vocals, guitar and drums. Jack White plays his signature pitch-shifting guitar sounds, while Alicia Keys balances out the song with her vocals and intricate harmonies.

Jack White used the opening of the theme of the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as inspiration in creating the intro riff. The mash-up between garage rock, soul and R&B is quite divisive among aficionados, and the song did not get much attention given the star power behind it. However, it does stand out as one of the more unique Bond themes.

7

“The Man with The Golden Gun” by Lulu From ‘The Man with The Golden Gun’ (1974)

Lulu’s 1975 cabaret-styled “The Man with The Golden Gun” is a wild Bond theme. Pulsing with glam rock attitude, theatrics and blazing guitar work, the song has a distinct sound tied to the mid-70s. The short tune is full of all the hallmarks of a Bond theme, with a huge brass section, strings and powerful vocals. The song has several key changes and time signature shifts, giving it a unique feel and a fusion vibe that was inescapable at the time.

The noisy and borderline chaotic song is delivered with conviction, which reflects Christopher Lee‘s brilliant role as marksman and famed assassin Francisco Scaramanga. Lulu’s vocal performance also reflects Roger Moore’s campy side of 007. It’s dripping with attitude and aggression and has a punk spirit while staying in a funky lane.

6

“Tomorrow Never Dies” by Sheryl Crow From ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ (1997)

“Tomorrow Never Dies” by Sheryl Crow is an oft-forgotten and underappreciated Bond theme. The orchestral ballad prominently features guitar leading the way with a swinging 6/8 time signature and Crow’s mysterious and seductive vocals. It blends the sophistication of Pierce Brosnan’s Bond with a smoky and stylish dark 90s pop vibe.

The lyrics reveal the themes of the film: betrayal, danger, manipulation and a doomed romance. k.d. Lang was originally tapped to record the theme, but producers opted to use Crow’s song for the theme, placing Lang’s orchestral song, “Surrender,” during the end credits of the movie. “Tomorrow Never Dies” was nominated for a Grammy Award and Golden Globe but lost out to Celine Dion‘s “My Heart WIll Go On,” from Titanic.

5

“The World is Not Enough” by Garbage From ‘The World is Not Enough’ (1999)

“The World is Not Enough” is a brooding Bond theme that encapsulates the sounds of late 90s alternative rock. The song is equal parts a 007 theme and a Garbage song that fits right in with the group’s catalog of alt-rock classics. The electro-alternative track brings Bond into the digital era with a trip-hop vibe and moody guitar-driven energy.

Shirley Manson‘s breathy and seductive vocals are emotionally guarded and powerful. The band created a beautifully cold and elegant sound on the track that matches the themes of the Pierce Brosnan film: betrayal, control and exploitation. “The World is Not Enough” is a great theme from a chiefly forgettable Bond movie.

4

“The Living Daylights” by A-ha From ‘The Living Daylights’ (1987)

“The Living Daylights” is an underrated Bond theme for an underappreciated picture. The song kicked off the short-lived Timothy Dalton era, which had more of a gritty edge and anger issues compared to Sir Roger Moore‘s 007. The song is more synth-pop than rock, but it has a groove and A-ha proved they were more than just an MTV one-hit wonder with their signature hit “Take on Me.”

A-ha worked with John Barry on the song to keep the Bond grandeur while adding their signature 80s synths and dramatic strings. It set the tone for the colder and more serious Bond, a far cry from some of the tongue-in-cheek moments found in later Roger Moore films. The Norwegian band help create a sophisticated yet chilly vibe in the song reflective of Bond’s uneasiness as he romps through Eastern Europe in The Living Daylights.

3

“A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran From ‘A View to a Kill (1985)

Worlds collided in 1985 when Duran Duran was tapped to write the theme song for what would be Roger Moore’s final time playing the iconic character. Released at the height of their popularity, the song is peak 80s and combines the grandeur of Bond with Duran Duran’s swagger and New Wave pop sensibility. “A View to a Kill” has many hallmarks of the mid-80s MTV heyday, including gated snare, stabbing synths and a studio sheen that makes it unmistakably of its era.

As with most Duran Duran songs, John Taylor‘s pulsating and complex bass playing is a highlight, along with its well-layered sounds with just enough guitar to give it attitude. Simon LeBon’s vocals are mysterious and cinematic as he sings: “Dance into the fire / that fatal kiss is all we need.” “A View to a Kill” is still the only Bond theme to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It marked the final time Sir Roger Moore played 007 as he faced off against Christopher Walken‘s Max Zorin in a memorable fight in a hot air balloon tangled up high on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

2

“Live and Let Die” by Wings From ‘Live and Let Die’ (1973)

Paul McCartney and Wings shattered the mold of Bond theme songs with 1973’s “Live and Let Die.” The first rock theme song in Bond history ushered in the Roger Moore era of seven films over a dozen years with a bang. Prior to Live and Let Die, Bond themes were jazzy and orchestral or a straight-up ballad. McCartney and Wings created an explosively experimental track that still resounds today.

The song was written by Paul and Linda McCartney and produced by George Martin, longtime collaborator with The Beatles. The progressive track features multiple different sections, including a slow piano intro, orchestral suspense, reggae-inspired verses and hard rock explosiveness with McCarney’s signature vocals. “Live and Let “Die” was a post-Beatles hit for Macca and created the blueprint for future rock Bond themes and inspired a slate of rockers to enter the world of 007. The song was famously covered by Guns N’ Roses on their 1991 album Use Your Illusion 1, turning the classic track onto a new generation.

1

“You Know My Name” by Chris Cornell From ‘Casino Royale’ (2006)

Chris Cornell‘s fist-pumping rock song helped introduce the world to Daniel Craig as 007 in Casino Royale. The late singer co-wrote “You Know My Name” with David Arnold, which is the best rock song in the James Bond theme catalog. Far from an orchestral ballad, the driving track is fueled by Chris Cornell’s gritty and powerful vocals and is a powerful statement that Bond is back and better than ever.

Musically, the song has several old-school musical nods to John Barry‘s original 007 theme. The former Soundgarden and Audioslave vocalist set the stage for Craig’s brooding take on James Bond that pulses with energy, danger and swagger. You can feel the masculine 007 energy in the performance. “You Know My Name” is a powerful statement marking 007’s return and rocks more than any other Bond theme song.

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Casino Royale

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Release Date

November 17, 2006

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Runtime

144 minutes

Director

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Martin Campbell

Writers

Neal Purvis, Paul Haggis, Robert Wade, Ian Fleming

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Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Punisher: One Last Kill

Almost a decade since its finale on Netflix, Marvel brought back fan favorite Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) for Daredevil: Born Again, presenting the Disney+ series an opportunity to resurrect yet another beloved onscreen character with Jon Bernthal’s anti-hero Frank Castle/The Punisher. Since his own Netflix series was cut short in 2018, fans have felt Castle’s absence, though maybe none so much as The Punisher himself. “He’s lived with the character,” Reinaldo Marcus Green, director of The Punisher: One Last Kill, tells Collider’s Steve Weintraub. “He had been working on this for a good long while.”

After a brief appearance in Born Again and a surprise cameo announced for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Frank Castle is once again donning the bulletproof vest for One Last Kill, marking the third of Marvel’s Special Presentations, a short-format adventure that kicked off with the critically acclaimed Werewolf by Night. In the 44-minute one-shot, co-written by Bernthal and Green, Castle is haunted by his past, struggling to find purpose beyond his obsession with revenge, when an unexpected foe lures him back into the fold. One Last Kill also brings back Jason R. Moore as Curtis Hoyle and introduces Emmy Award winner Judith Light to the MCU as supervillain Ma Gnucci (“She’s different than the comic, in a good way”).

One thing’s for sure: fans are thrilled by the Punisher’s return, but hungry for more. While talking with Collider, which you can watch in the video above or read below, Green discusses Bernthal first approaching him with the idea and the merits of returning to screen with a Marvel special. “Hopefully, that is a way for them to gauge audience reactions, what they want, and demand for the character,” Green says. “And give us more runway to do something bigger and better in the future.” He shares behind-the-scenes details for their 11-day shoot, working with the limitations, where on the MCU timeline One Last Kill falls, and what introducing Ma Gnucci ultimately means for the fate of Castle. As for now, however, the director admits, “We’re not sure where the Punisher goes.”

Jon Bernthal Took a “Gloves-Off” Approach to ‘Punisher’s Violent One-Shot

Director Reinaldo Marcus Green also shares new details on Southern Bastards.

Image via Disney+

COLLIDER: Before we jump into The Punisher, I know you directed the pilot of Southern Bastards, so what do you want to tell people about that, and any word on whether it might go forward?

REINALDO MARCUS GREEN: Amazing cast. We just wrapped on Thursday, so it’s in Hulu’s hands. I head out to LA for the edit next week. So, yeah, early days, but I feel very, very strong. We’ve got great material, Kevin Bacon, Erin Kellyman, Tim McGraw, Amin Joseph, Jonathan Tucker, and Ethan Suplee. Amazing cast, really. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Tremendous cast. Great setting, great comic book. If you don’t know it, it’s based on a graphic novel. So, just really a lot of fun. I’m really happy about that one, so we’ll see. I’m optimistic we’ll have a future life there.

Yeah, with that cast. Congrats. I hope it does get picked up. So, I’ve got to ask the most important question. Why do you think it is Marvel doesn’t do more one-shots? Because they’re two for two now, including what you guys made.

GREEN: I don’t know. Maybe they will start doing them. I think, like you said, they’re fun. For me, it was like dropping a single on an album, you know? It’s just fun to be able to approach it with that respect, giving the audience something that they want. It was really a lot of fun for us, so I hope they do more, and I hope this is an inspiration for that.

What do you think the one-shot, 50-minute format is able to accomplish that the two-hour movie or the 8–10 episode season isn’t?

GREEN: I think it’s a toe-dip. For people who are afraid to go on a long commitment, they can start with 50 minutes. For folks that don’t know anything about the Punisher, who will be introduced to the character with this one, I think it’s, “Oh, I really like this guy. I really enjoyed that ride. Is there more?” So, it’s a short commitment, for sure. It’s a cinematic experience in a fun, digestible way, and hopefully leaves you wanting more.

So, if we’ve done our job right, hopefully there’ll be future Punisher, in whatever form, whether it’s film or TV, whatever route that they want to go. We know that he’s going to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but after that, we’re not sure where the Punisher goes, but hopefully that is a way for them to gauge audience reactions, what they want and demand for the character, and give us more runway to do something bigger and better in the future.

Image via Disney+

You’ve worked with Jon [Bernthal] previously, obviously. At what point did you two actually start talking Punisher and possibilities, and how does it correlate to mentioning it to Marvel? Were you guys talking about doing something and then going to Marvel? What’s the timeline?

GREEN: I think Jon has been talking about this for a lot longer than I have. He’s lived with the character. He’s been with the Punisher for a long time. This was introduced to me about a year and a half before we started filming, was when I got wind of it. He told me he was going to do a special. To be fair, I didn’t know I was going to be called for it. I didn’t know I was going to be the right guy for the job, and even so much so, I asked Johnny, “Are you sure?” Going from tennis balls to bullet wounds is a different thing. I’m a nonviolent guy, and so it’s just a different lane for me to play in, which was a lot of fun.

But yeah, to have that buy-in from the actor, I think, is super important. For Jon to see something that I didn’t even see in myself, I think, was important. And I was a Punisher fan as a kid, but it had been 25 years before I opened up the comic books again. I had kind of shelved everything as a teenager. So, here I am now, grown, with school-aged kids. It was fun to dive back in.

So, yeah, when Jon approached me with it, I think he had already had those conversations with Marvel about doing it. It was going to be sort of a gloves-off type situation. He kind of knew the story that he wanted to tell. He had sort of cracked early versions of the script, so he had been working on this for a good long while before I came into it. I think it was good for me to have a bit of distance from the character.

Where Does the ‘Punisher’ Special Fall in the MCU Timeline?

“There was an inside job, so to speak…”

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

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So you two sit down, you’re writing this thing. How much in the writing process did you know, “Well, we’re going to have this much money. We’re going to have this much time to shoot,” and how does that correlate to the screenplay you’re working on, or was it a result of, “Let’s write our screenplay, and then let’s see how much of this we can actually do?”

GREEN: I think it was probably somewhere in between. I didn’t know how much to begin with, not that that was the reason to do the project. Once Jon said that I was the guy, and I committed to it, and Jon knows this about me, I’m 110% once I’m in. So, it’s about diving in, getting into character.

Of course, the budgets reveal themselves, and days started getting a little shorter, and we were saying, “Okay, well, we can’t do this. We can’t do this.” But to be fair, I don’t look at anything like a limitation. I think they’re all opportunities. We knew this was going to be a special. What is essential to telling the story? Where is his headspace at? That doesn’t change anything. I think it may change the number of bodies that can fall off roofs, it can change the number of backgrounds, but ultimately, if you have committed actors and crew, you can do a lot. I think we achieved a lot in 11 days, and I think ultimately, hopefully, it was all towards the story that we were trying to tell. It was wonderful that we had Jon, as committed as he is, who did all the action himself.

So, look, I don’t know if there’s a filmmaker with a budget, even up to $300 million, that says they have enough. Ultimately, can you do more with more? Yeah. But you can also maximize what you have. We were able to get Robert Elswit, one of the great living cinematographers, based on relationship. I did this based on my relationship with Jon. That was my commitment to the Marvel community, was Jon asked me to do it, I spoke with Jon, and that was my buy-in. It wasn’t about the financial aspects of the shoot or even how much we had to shoot it. And the same thing with Robert. Robert’s like, “If you’re doing it, I’m doing it.”

So, I think when you can build a team based on that, we were able to create what we could create based on our relationships to one another, and just use every limitation as an opportunity and say, “Hey, alright, this is what we can do. This is how we best achieve it. Let’s go.” We shot 11 days in New York, all on location or in Jon’s apartment, in the interior apartment. But other than that, we were really on the streets in New York, grinding with natural daylight.

Image via Disney+

Did Marvel say to you guys anything about connecting to the larger story, or were they like, “Hey, you can do your thing, but we don’t want it touching other things. It needs to just be a self-contained Punisher story?”

GREEN: There were certainly conversations about where this would live in the timeline. Nothing that felt restrictive to the story that we were telling. This was always going to be kind of a standalone special, where it sat sort of post-Daredevil [Born Again] and pre-Spider-Man [Brand New Day]. I think it was still a question, at some point, but as we started filming, there was a natural timeline that started to reveal itself. Obviously, there are a lot of sort of smart people at Marvel who were able to quickly connect those dots, but I never felt those limitations, or, “You can’t do this, you can’t do that.”

I think because Jon, who this was really kind of his baby, this was something where he knows the character very well. It was easy for him to adapt. It wasn’t a difficult thing for him to know where the character was or where the character was headed. He also knew that he was going to be in Spider-Man, so I think there was an inside job, so to speak, that Jon, the character himself, was also aware of where his character was going based on the next project he was getting ready to go off and do. So, we had a timeline that really happened organically.

There is a crazy amount of action in this for such a short shooting schedule. Is it one of these things where Jon and the stunt team are doing a lot of rehearsals in advance, so when you’re on set, you’re able to get the maximum time you have for the days you have? And part two, how long did you have to shoot that building sequence? Because it’s crazy how much action you pull off and the extent of the violence that you pull off in a Marvel one-shot.

GREEN: Yes, Jon certainly was rehearsing. He knew almost every move before we filmed it. We had three pre-visualizations, so our stunt supervisor and our stunt coordinators would work it out on the stage, we would see it, we would approve it, we would go back, and we would adjust. Then Robert Elswit and myself would then go watch those stunt rehearsals, and then we’d say how we would film it versus how they would do it on a stage, obviously with different cameras.

But the design really started happening even before we were finished with the script. A friend of mine, Will Poulter, a great actor, recommended a series called Gangs of London, which I hadn’t seen. He said the action in there was great, and I said, “Okay, great.” There’s a guy named Jude Poyer Jude had designed the stunts there. I’m living in London, and he was living there, so I thought, “Oh, I have access to him very early on.” We didn’t have a lot of prep time for this, so we could at least start talking about the character, the state of the character, what we were doing, and what the action would look like. So, we had early conversations with Jon, who was living all the way in LA at the time, that were able to kind of inform those early passes of the script based on the action that we were talking about.

Then, when we got on the ground, it really took a full team operation. Jon has a long-standing stuntman, Eric [Linden], but Jon also being the person who does all of his stunts, we really set him on fire, we really dropped him from buildings, and obviously he’d spent all those years on The Walking Dead. We brought on a guy named David Conk, who was also super instrumental in helping us orchestrate. So, that whole collective, together, was instrumental in helping us with the pre-visualizations, shooting that previs, approving that previs before we would then go to shoot it because we didn’t have a lot of time, as you said, on location to do that.

But our part of our job was really designing it based on the story, based on the intention, based on, “Why would he do that? What’s the reaction to that?” So really trying to be story-driven with the action so that it doesn’t just feel like he’s just killig for no reason, that there was an intention behind the killings.

And then obviously, the precision in which the Punisher works, how do we orchestrate that so that feels very, very real and authentic? We also had one final beat, which is the military consultants that we had not only as consultants but also as actors in the film. The guys who are in that room with John are real ex-military, real ex-Green Beret. You have folks who are military trained to help Jon orchestrate that. So, we had a lot of hands on deck when it came to the authenticity of the fight sequences. But yeah, a lot of time went into the design of them so that we were not just running on the day without knowing what we were going to do.

You guys pulled off an awesome action set piece. So a lot of Marvel stuff has an after-credits scene. How much did you guys debate having an after-credits scene, and did it come close?

GREEN: No debate on my end. It didn’t come up as far as I was aware. It was never something that was discussed internally on my side.

Judith Light’s Marvel Villain Is a Perfect Opportunity for More ‘Punisher’

“Selfishly, it’s great for us as fans.”

Image via Disney+

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Judith Light plays Ma Gnucci. She obviously escapes at the end. How much was that a conscious choice to leave a breadcrumb, in case you guys wanted to do more, and how much did you debate him taking care of her before this thing ended?

GREEN: We love the question mark. Selfishly, it’s great for us as fans, and hopefully, we’ll see more of her and more of Jon. So, for us, it was kind of fun to leave the open door, but it also made the moral choice just that much harder in the piece. You either go after her or go save a young innocent, and we see the decision that Jon made in that moment.

Judith is incredible… I mean, she’s been around for forever. I met her at the Sundance Lab years ago as an actress there, and what a terrific talent. And I think what was so great is Jon had brought her name up, and I thought she was so fascinating. She is not somebody that you would expect in the Marvel Universe, and I thought that was what made that casting choice so interesting and unique. She’s terrific. She’s fun. She’s different than the comic, in a good way. It was just fun to play with, and I think together on screen they were really electric.

Obviously, this one-shot really deals with the mental health of Frank Castle, and really gets in there. Can you talk about the way you and Jon wanted to make sure that you’re honoring so many people who are going through mental health challenges, especially members of the military, and can you talk about the writing and the shooting, to make sure you tried to do it the best you could?

GREEN: Again, Jon really is very, very close with the military community. There was a gentleman by the name of Nick Koumalatsos, who’s an actor in the film, as well, but he was really there from the early stages with Jon, talking about PTSD and the conditions that some of these military guys go through. And Colton Hill. These guys were critical to Jon’s psychological state. They would talk about what it’s like coming home from war and the things that they faced. So, I know for sure it was about trying to do honor and justice to the military community first and foremost, and that was driven by Jon’s total and relentless commitment to that community and getting it right.

So, that really drove where Frank’s psychological state is at the start of our piece and where he ends up. I know that had to go into the early stages of the draft and obviously into the piece that we ended up coming with. But those guys were instrumental in helping Jon really create that psychological state, and critical to the foundation of what you see in our piece.

Image via Disney+

What was it like in the editing room with the one-shot? Did you end up having a longer cut, or was this always about what it was going to be? Did you end up with a lot of deleted scenes?

GREEN: Not really. To be fair, we didn’t have a lot of time for deleted scenes, which is great. It’s very rare when you get into the edit and you don’t have to kill all your darlings, and so on. So, that was kind of exciting, but also scary when you’re like, “Oh, we actually have to use everything that we shot.” So, it’s scary when there are no second unit days. There’s no go-back-and-get-it. This is one chance.

It was great. We utilized pretty much everything that we shot, which is fantastic. I can’t really speak to a deleted scene. There might be one or two bodies that were left on the floor, so to speak, on the cutting room floor, but I think in terms of the structure and the story, this was as clean as you can get in the edit. I think it’s shorter than we had imagined, a little bit shorter, but I think that natural tightening came in the edit, for the better. I think the piece is as long as it needs to be to tell the genetic story and hopefully get fans and audiences on Camp Frank.

The Punisher: One Last Kill is available to stream now on Disney+.

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Release Date

May 12, 2026

Runtime

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60 Minutes

Director

Reinaldo Marcus Green

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Writers

Reinaldo Marcus Green, Ross Andru, Jon Bernthal, Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr.

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Franchise(s)

The Punisher

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