SPOILER ALERT: This article contains major spoilers for the seventh episode of “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 2, now streaming on Disney+.
“Daredevil: Born Again” has wrapped up another major character’s storyline — although the original murder scene was intended to have a much more positive conclusion. It was only after filming that showrunner Dario Scardapane chose to change direction and incorporate post-production effects to finalize the fate of one of Kingpin/Mayor Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) key associates.
In a surprising twist, Kingpin’s enforcer Buck Cashman (Arty Froushan) kills Deputy Mayor Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini) during a confrontation between Fisk’s two main aides. Cashman aims to eliminate journalist BB Urich (Genneya Walton) for exposing Kingpin’s malicious schemes to the public, but Blake refrains from harming her due to their growing bond. He chooses to protect Urich, an act of defiance that costs him his life. Towards the end of the penultimate episode, Cashman confronts Blake regarding Urich, pushes him down in a struggle, and fatally shoots him.
However, this was not the outcome during filming.
When the scene was shot, Cashman aimed his gun at Blake, who was on the floor, but did not fire. Instead, he spared the young politician and instructed him to flee, later having to account to Kingpin for his actions.
“Buck had to confront Fisk, yet he didn’t confess,” Froushan reveals to Variety. “He deceives Fisk, claiming, ‘I killed him,’ though he clearly did not.”
Scardapane elaborated on what might have transpired if Blake had survived as initially filmed. “He would have remained in the Fisk administration,” he explains. “He attempts to resign, but the new interim mayor refuses, saying, ‘I’ll keep you around because I don’t trust you.’”
Initially opting to let Blake live, Scardapane noted the character was “given multiple chances, and because he defended BB, it left a mark on Buck’s conscience.” Yet in the editing phase, the showrunner felt that “something was amiss” and that “the story lacked authenticity.”
Upon reflection, Scardapane realized that sparing Blake “felt bland and unengaging… Sometimes a narrative is naturally complete, and extending it can dilute its impact. Both Blake and Buck, in their complex friendship, needed to stay true to themselves. That moment was crucial, as everything following felt like an unsatisfactory coda.”
Scardapane contacted Gandolfini to discuss the decision to change the scene and end his character’s life.
“I said, ‘I have bad news,’” Scardapane recounts. “And he responded, ‘I know what you’re going to say, and it’s the right call.’ He sensed that escaping the apartment was unrealistic. It was amusing because scenes were shot of him post-that moment, making it seem like we were narrating the wrong story. This speaks to our affection for him; we understood his character’s likely fate, yet we hesitated to execute it.”
Consequently, the post-production team inserted a gunshot into Cashman and Blake’s final confrontation. “In the editing room, we thought, ‘Let’s give this a try,’” Scardapane describes. “They quickly added it, and the room fell silent afterward — mirroring the episode’s conclusion. It was a moment of shock.”
The scene between Cashman and Blake now concludes with the gunshot, leaving fans stunned as another significant character from Season 1 is eliminated.
“The fact that, as actors, we were unaware of this twist makes the scene potentially more captivating,” Froushan remarks. “I think of Michael Gandolfini as a brother. This season, our journey together resembles a film. I was devastated, but I believe this decision intensifies the story, adding necessary excitement to the plot.”
Antonio Ferme contributed reporting.
