Warning: the following features spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 and 2...
10 years after the original Netflix show started, Daredevil: Born Again has landed on Disney Plus, seeing the return of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) – better known as Daredevil and Kingpin.
Of course, it's thrilling to see the pair once again collide on our screens, as this time around Fisk sets his sights on becoming the Mayor of New York. However, there are also new additions to the cast of the Marvel Phase 5 show that have been catching our attention ahead of the series launching.
A name at the top of that list is actor Michael Gandolfini, the son of the legendary The Sopranos star James Gandolfini, who played a younger version of his dad's iconic character Tony Soprano in the prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark. It's safe to say then that fans were very excited when Gandolfini was announced to be part of Daredevil: Born Again's cast.
But the question is – who is he playing? Fans have been speculating ever since the announcement was made but now we finally have our answer.
Who is Michael Gandolfini's character Daniel Blake?
No, Gandolfini isn't playing a son of Wilson Fisk or a younger version of the character seen in flashbacks, which is something that fans have been theorizing. However, he does indeed play someone with close ties to D'Onofrio's beloved antagonist.
As seen in the first episode, Gandolfini is playing a young man named Daniel Blake, who has no ties to the Marvel comics – so don't go there looking for clues. And no, we doubt he has anything to do with director Ken Loach's drama I, Daniel Blake either, although surely the filmmakers are aware of the coincidence with the name...
We first see Blake working for Fisk's mayoral campaign in the opening episode and it is immediately clear that he is a strong believer in the candidate. In fact, he says this, telling Fisk that he likes him as he "gets shit done". Interrupting a conversation, Blake is clearly eager, as also evidenced by the fact he managed to canvas 2,000 signatures. Fisk's chief advisor also jokes that she has Blake working for the campaign as "he's cheap" too.
At the end of that episode Fisk wins the election and so he is now settling in as mayor in episode 2, as we jump forward in time by a year. Here we see that Blake is still working for Fisk, now being an advisor at the mayoral office. He's still as enthusiastic in his belief in Fisk as ever, forming a relationship with the young reporter BB Urich, telling them they can be "friends with political benefits". He gives her access to Fisk and in return, she writes stories about his activities.
It will certainly be interesting to see what happens to Blake later on in the season, given that he seems to be growing closer to Fisk. Will Kingpin be a bad influence on this naive, young man? Has he been already? We are already getting red flags for sure, simply through his devotion to the dangerous mayor.
The first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are out now on Disney Plus. For more, check out our guide to the Daredevil: Born Again release schedule so you don't miss a beat, as well as our Daredevil: Born Again review. Then we have everything we know about all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows that are on the way.
