Michael Gandolfini Arrives Just in Time

      Who is Daniel Blake? This is the question Marvel fans have been pondering since Michael Gandolfini (known for The Many Saints of Newark and Beau Is Afraid) was cast as Blake in Daredevil: Born Again. Having no prior presence in the Daredevil universe—where blind lawyer Matt Murdock operates as a masked vigilante—or the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe, the character remains enigmatic, leading to extensive online speculation. One theory suggests Blake might be the biological son of Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio). Another possibility is that he could be a Skrull, a species of alien shapeshifters. Alternatively, he might simply be an aspiring political aide from Long Island aiming to create meaningful change in New York City. Gandolfini's unreadable demeanor indicates that he won't provide the real answer, but he does acknowledge he has seen the theories circulating. "Sometimes, it's amazing because someone will be incredibly confident about something that's completely off the mark," he laughs. "Other times, I think, 'That's interesting. The writers might want to read that. If they haven't considered it, that's pretty cool.' Then there are moments when I think, 'Oh wow, maybe they're onto something. That's really great.'"

      On a brief break from filming the second half of the show's initial season, the actor connects with me via Zoom from a hotel room in West Hollywood. He's visiting from New York City for the premiere of another significant project releasing this month, the star-studded drama Warfare by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza. (More on that shortly.) Having binged all of Daredevil: Born Again in a 48-hour period, I'm excited to discuss everything regarding Daniel Blake.

      We first meet Gandolfini's Blake in the premiere episode. He is a young, agreeable political aide involved in Fisk's mayoral campaign. Despite the candidate’s controversial past and political stance, Blake finds inspiration in Fisk's promise of creating change in New York City and improving citizens' lives, which propels him upward in Fisk's powerful inner circle due to his strong work ethic. However, at what cost?

      When I ask Gandolfini if being part of the expansive MCU was on his acting wishlist, he candidly replies: "I wouldn’t say it’s something I ever seriously considered. I’m not sure I feel completely right as a superhero or supervillain, but it depends on the tone."

      When the chance to join Daredevil: Born Again, a noir-inspired series, arose and presented the character of Daniel Blake as someone without superpowers who wields power nonetheless, it piqued the interest of the 25-year-old actor. "Twenty years ago, we had numerous heroes without powers," he reflects. "We had doctors like House. He's a superhero. You watch and think, 'If I ever get sick, I’ll be okay because doctors are superheroes.' Or a district attorney breaking a corrupt scheme – it’s uplifting to see heroes doing good. Those narratives made me feel better, and I don’t think we encounter that much these days. So when they approached me with the idea of a young communications director climbing the ladder, I was genuinely excited." Additionally, there was the advantage of working alongside experienced actors like D'Onofrio and Jon Bernthal.

      Gandolfini was fortunate that portraying a brand-new MCU character meant he wasn't bound by previous lore or fan expectations, allowing him to create the character on his own terms, which began with infusing humor into Blake. "One of the most wonderful aspects of this is that I’ve gotten to play against the overarching theme," he explains. "It’s incredibly enjoyable to contrast the tone and portray such an optimistic and social character in this environment."

      However, Blake's journey isn't all lighthearted. With significant power comes considerable responsibility, and despite Blake’s genuine intentions of working with Fisk initially, Gandolfini reveals that as the season progresses, Blake realizes they may not actually be helping anyone. As his influence grows along with the associated perks, Blake becomes oblivious to Fisk’s underlying greed, leading him to wrestle with a moral conflict by the end of part one.

      With part two now in production and set to be released in 2026, the actor teases an exhilarating set of remaining episodes that will see various plot threads from part one come to a climax. "Daniel is at the center of quite a bit of it," he shares, noting that Blake's tendency to please others will reach a boiling point as he must confront the consequences of his choices. "There are two distinctly different factions that are finally questioning, Who are you? What side are you on? What will you do? I’ll say that these choices… As they become more intricate, the stakes climb much higher. It becomes a matter of life or death at some juncture."

      Just as the first part of Daredevil: Born Again is building