How a Last-Minute CGI Shot Turned Daredevil: Born Again’s Biggest Scene Into a Jaw-Dropper

One of the most shocking moments in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 almost never happened — and it took a quiet editing room decision to make it real.

Fans watching Episode 7 of the new season on Disney+ were stunned to see Daniel Blake, played by Michael Gandolfini, get shot dead by Buck Cashman, played by Arty Froushan. But here’s the twist — that gunshot was never filmed on set. It was added later using CGI in post-production.

Showrunner Dario Scardapane opened up about the behind-the-scenes decision in a conversation with Variety, explaining that when the cast originally filmed the scene, Cashman points his gun at Blake — but walks away without pulling the trigger. In that version, Blake survives. Cashman even lies to Kingpin Wilson Fisk, played by Vincent D’Onofrio, telling him the job was done when it wasn’t.

Scardapane had initially planned to keep Blake alive inside the Fisk administration. The story would have shown Blake trying to resign, only to be kept close by the new interim mayor. But after watching the footage in the editing room, something felt off.

“This feels so wrong,” Scardapane said, realizing the survival arc “doesn’t feel like the story was earned.” He described keeping Blake alive as “kind of meh and a non-story,” adding that both Blake and Cashman, in their twisted friendship, “had to be true to who they were.”

That’s when the team decided to try something bold. The post-production crew quickly mocked up a version with a CGI gunshot added to the scene. The result left everyone in the room silent.

“You could have heard a pin drop in the editing room,” Scardapane said.

Before making it official, Scardapane personally called Gandolfini to break the news. His response? Calm and completely understanding.

“I was like, ‘Dude, I’ve got the worst news,'” Scardapane recalled. “And he’s like, ‘I know exactly what you’re gonna say, and it’s the right choice.'”

Gandolfini himself felt that Blake had no way out of that apartment alive. Scenes that had already been shot of him after that moment suddenly felt out of place — like the story was heading in the wrong direction.

Froushan also shared his feelings about the change, saying he had no idea during filming that his character would end up killing Blake. Speaking to Variety, he said the uncertainty between the actors may have actually made the scene more powerful on screen.

“I love Michael Gandolfini like a brother,” Froushan said. “This season, the whole journey we have together is a movie. So I was gutted. I was really upset. But I think it raises the stakes of the story in a really exciting way.”

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+. The death of Daniel Blake marks another major loss from the Season 1 cast, and fans are already buzzing about what comes next for Kingpin and the rest of New York City.