Michael Gandolfini had big shoes to fill when he was cast as a young Tony Soprano in last fall's The Many Saints of Newark. Playing the part that his late father made iconic, the up-and-coming star not only needed to live up to James Gandolfini's incredible, imposing, immaculately lived-in Emmy-winning performance but also prove himself in his own right, particularly with his first starring role. Thankfully, the actor lived up to the challenge and then some, which suggested an enticing, promising future ahead for the rising talent. In the time since that potentially star-making performance, however, Gandolfini has gotten several notable supporting turns in a few promising new titles, including Cat Person, Cory Finely's Landscape with Invisible Hand, and Ari Aster's Disappointment Blvd. But now, he's landed quite a big bullseye. As it was announced earlier today, Gandolfini has signed on to join Marvel's latest Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again, which will see Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio reprising their roles as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, respectively.
As Deadline reports, Gandolfini's role in Daredevil: Born Again is being kept under wraps, though the publication speculates that he might play an ambitious new hotshot from Staten Island. We won't have any confirmation, though, until closer to the program's production start date or its release on Disney+. In any case, we should expect Gandolfini to play a prominent supporting role. Particularly as he is one of the first cast members to be revealed since the show's announcement earlier this year.
An 18-episode season that is expected to pick up sometime after the events of their celebrated Netflix series, Daredevil: Born Again comes from creators Matt Corman and Chris Ord, who previously made Covert Affairs, and will premiere sometime in 2024. Certainly, given the number of episodes in this season, this new continuation series will serve as a bigger undertaking than previous Marvel shows on Disney+ (which is saying something), and it will likely be one of the most anticipated to boot. Hopefully, as the up-and-coming actor continues to forge his path and make a name for himself away from his father's shadow, Born Again will continue to allow Gandolfini's rising profile to shine ever brighter.
Most recently, Gandolfini was seen in The Independent and Paramount+'s The Offer, neither of which got the same notice as his portrayal of Tony Soprano. But that will definitely change with this new show.
Certainly, as casting continues and production draws near, we'll continue to learn more details about this enticing new Marvel continuation, and we'll keep you posted on the latest developments here at Collider.
In the meantime, check out the trailer for The Many Saints of Newark below: