Daredevil: Born Again Nearly Spared Daniel in Episode 7, Michael Gandolfini Reveals

Some TV shows like to keep things safe. 'Daredevil: Born Again'? Not one of them. Season 2 has flat-out thrown the kitchen sink at viewers: big deaths, jaw-dropping character turns, and the occasional 'wait, what?' plotting. If you haven’t watched Episode 7 yet, here’s your warning—serious spoilers ahead. Things just went off the rails in a pretty spectacular way.

The second-to-last episode, called "The Hateful Darkness," doesn’t bother tiptoeing around big swings. For starters, Vanessa Fisk—yeah, that Vanessa Fisk—is dead. Jessica Jones is suddenly someone’s mom. Just about everyone's in crisis mode, but nothing landed harder than the episode’s final, brutal twist.

Daniel Blake’s Last Stand

Let’s talk about Daniel Blake, played by Michael Gandolfini. If you’ve been following along, you know he’s been stuck with one foot in both camps: seriously conflicted about choosing between his loyalty to Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio still chewing every scene) and his friendship-slash-conscience with rising-star journalist BB Urich (Genneya Walton).

The setup all season: Daniel’s wrestling with whether to sell out BB, who’s spilling secrets from inside Fisk’s operation. By Episode 7, his crossroads isn’t just emotional—it’s potentially fatal.

So what happens? In a genuinely decent-guy move, Daniel picks saving BB over his own skin. He sneaks her out, and then sticks around to face the consequences—and it’s not some handshake and understanding nod from the boss. Instead, Kingpin’s heavy, Buck Cashman (Arty Froushan), confronts Daniel and demands to know where BB is. Daniel keeps his mouth shut. Result: Buck pulls the trigger, and Daniel is very much dead.

The Shocking Alternate Ending

Here’s the kind of juicy behind-the-scenes nugget fans will obsess over: according to the actor himself, Daniel wasn’t supposed to die. At least, not in some earlier version of the script. The original ending had him getting through the confrontation alive. So, somewhere along the way, the writers (or Marvel powers that be) decided they needed to yank the rug out from under us after all. Not going to lie—it’s a cruel twist, but it does push the stakes into the stratosphere right before the finale.

'In the original ending, I actually survived. But I guess the show really wanted to hammer home how dangerous standing up to Fisk can be.'

So, Where Does That Leave Us?

• Daniel is gone. Not exactly reassuring news for any other would-be whistleblowers on the show’s roster.
• BB escaped, but is probably next on someone’s hit list. Don’t expect her to just lay low.
• Fisk is more unhinged than ever, and nobody's safety is guaranteed.
• There’s one episode left, and all bets are off. Seriously, nobody’s safe.

If you’re catching up: Season 2 has taken Daredevil and his supporting cast to some genuinely messy, unpredictable places—more ghosted allies, more shifting loyalties, and now, one less Daniel Blake. If this is the lead-up to the finale, I’m bracing myself for some truly wild choices from here on out.

Major Cast This Season

Just so you’re keeping score:

• Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock (Daredevil)
• Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk (Kingpin)
• Michael Gandolfini as Daniel Blake
• Genneya Walton as BB Urich
• Arty Froushan as Buck Cashman
• Krysten Ritter guest-starring as Jessica Jones
• ...plus more, but those are the key players in the current bloodbath

If you thought Daredevil was done making risky choices, this episode proves otherwise. I have no clue how next week’s finale plays out, but I wouldn’t bet on a happy ending for anyone.