Title: Unveiling Michael Gandolfini’s Role in “Daredevil: Born Again” – Meet Daniel Blake
Alert: the following sections contain spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 and 2…
Ten years after the unique Netflix series began, Daredevil: Born Again has debuted on Disney Plus, marking the return of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) – more commonly recognized as Daredevil and Kingpin.
It is certainly thrilling to witness these two characters clash once again on screen, particularly as Fisk sets his sights on becoming the Mayor of New York. Moreover, there are also new additions to the cast of the Marvel Phase 5 series that have garnered our interest prior to the show’s release.
At the top of this list is actor Michael Gandolfini, the son of the iconic The Sopranos star James Gandolfini, who portrayed a younger version of his father’s legendary character Tony Soprano in the prequel film The Many Saints of Newark. It’s safe to say that fans were quite thrilled when Gandolfini was announced as part of the cast of Daredevil: Born Again.
But the question is – who is he portraying? Fans have been speculating ever since the announcement was made, and now we finally have our answer.
Who is Michael Gandolfini’s character Daniel Blake?
No, Gandolfini is not portraying a son of Wilson Fisk or a younger version of the character shown in flashbacks, as some fans had speculated. Instead, he does in fact play a character who has close connections to D’Onofrio’s notorious antagonist.
In the initial episode, Gandolfini plays a young man named Daniel Blake, who has no associations with the Marvel comics – so do not go searching there for hints. And no, we doubt he has any connection to director Ken Loach’s drama I, Daniel Blake either, although it’s probable that the filmmakers are aware of the coincidence with the name…
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We first see Blake working for Fisk’s mayoral campaign in the opening episode, and it is quite evident that he is a staunch supporter of the candidate. In fact, he expresses this by stating that he admires Fisk because he “gets things done.” Interrupting a discussion, Blake is clearly enthusiastic, as demonstrated by the fact that he managed to gather 2,000 signatures. Fisk’s chief advisor also jokes that she has Blake helping with the campaign because “he’s cost-effective” as well.
By the end of that episode, Fisk secures the election and begins settling into his mayorship in the second episode, as we jump forward in time by a year. Here, we see that Blake is still working for Fisk, now serving as an advisor in the mayoral office. His belief in Fisk remains strong, and he forms a relationship with the young reporter BB Urich, telling her they could be “friends with political benefits.” He grants her access to Fisk in exchange for her writing news stories about his actions.
It will certainly be intriguing to see what happens to Blake as the season unfolds, especially since he appears to be growing closer to Fisk. Will Kingpin have a negative influence on this naive, young man? Has he already? We are already seeing clear warning signs, mainly through Blake’s unwavering loyalty to the corrupt mayor.
The first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are available now on Disney Plus. For more, check out our guide to the Daredevil: Born Again release schedule so you don’t miss a moment, in addition to our Daredevil: Born Again review. Then we have everything we know about all the upcoming Marvel films and series on the horizon.