After making an appearance at Disney's Upfront event in New York City, standout Knicks guard Jalen Brunson made his MCU debut in the new special The Punisher: One Last Kill.
Well, kind of. At one point in One Last Kill, Jon Bernthal's character walks through an apartment building. One young child is in awe, and he's wearing Brunson's Knicks jersey.
“That’s him”
Jalen Brunson jersey in The Punisher: One Last Kill pic.twitter.com/qSrLxOErRA
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 13, 2026
Real-life events and sports teams are rarely mentioned in the MCU, so this is a big deal. Fans will have to wait and see if Brunson ever makes a proper appearance in the MCU.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson's acting career before MCU debut
May 6, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to drive past Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) during game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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While Brunson hasn't acted in a movie or TV show before, he has appeared in WWE. It's a different kind of acting, but it gave fans a preview of his acting chops.
Brunson attended a June 2024 edition of Friday Night SmackDown held at Madison Square Garden. At the time, he didn't know he'd be going face-to-face with his rival from the following year. Brunson got into it with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton. The following year, the teams would face in the Eastern Conference Finals with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. Indiana came out on top.
He isn't the only Knicks player to make an appearance in a high-profile movie or TV show. Karl-Anthony Towns had a cameo in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which stars real-life Knicks superfan Anne Hathaway.
The Punisher: One Last Kill is a new Disney+ MCU special released on May 12, 2026. It marks the return to the role of Frank Castle for Bernthal, who previously led Netflix's Punisher series from 2017 to 2019. He made his first MCU appearance as the character in Daredevil: Born Again.
Coming up, Bernthal will appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day alongside Tom Holland. Two weeks earlier, they will both star in The Odyssey.
After making an appearance at Disney's Upfront event in New York City, standout Knicks guard Jalen Brunson made his MCU debut in the new special The Punisher: One Last Kill. Well, kind of. At one point in One Last Kill, Jon Bernthal's character walks through an apartment building. One young child is in awe, and he's wearing Brunson's Knicks jersey.