The Sudden End of Deputy Mayor Daniel Blake in *Daredevil: Born Again* Season 2

Episode 7, “The Hateful Darkness,” ends with Buck Cashman (Arty Froushan) shooting Deputy Mayor Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini). Originally Cashman pointed his gun, spared Blake, and told him to run. After filming, showrunner Dario Scardapane said the scene “didn’t feel earned” and added a gun-flare, CGI blood and a gunshot in post-production, making the encounter fatal. No reshoots were needed; the revised cut aired on Disney+ on April 28.

Gizmodo

Daniel Blake serves as Mayor Wilson Fisk’s Deputy Mayor of Communications, a political operative who begins to question Fisk’s criminal tactics. His bond with journalist BB Urich (Genneya Walton) leads him to protect her from a planned murder, putting him at odds with Fisk’s enforcer Buck Cashman and positioning Blake as a potential Fisk successor before his death.

Variety Magazine

Scardapane said keeping Blake created “a weird, lame coda” and felt “meh and a non-story.” He argued that Blake and Cashman must act in line with their loyalties, and that a decisive death provides a tighter, high-stakes resolution. The post-production team quickly mocked the new shot, noting a palpable silence in the editing room after the gunshot was added.

Gizmodo

• “They mocked it up really fast, and you could have heard a pin drop in the editing room after that — like it is at the end of the episode. It’s just like, holy shit.” — Dario Scardapane, showrunner

Variety Magazine

Blake’s death removes a character who could have bridged Fisk’s criminal empire and municipal politics, sharpening the conflict between the remaining protagonists and the Kingpin. Thematically, his sacrifice reinforces the series’ focus on loyalty, redemption, and the personal cost of opposing corruption, while raising the overall stakes for the season’s climax.

AV Club

Variety reported that Blake’s scripted arc included a resignation and continued proximity to Fisk, whereas ComicBook.com suggested an interim mayor would have kept him “close because I don’t trust you.” Both sources agree the original plan kept Blake alive, but details of his future role remain unspecified.

Variety Magazine

The season-finale “The Southern Cross” (May 5) will address the fallout from Blake’s death and set up storylines for season 3, where the absence of a potential Fisk heir may reshape power dynamics across the Marvel Television universe.

AV Club