Kingpin’s Gruesome Act in Daredevil: Born Again Shocks MCU Fans

by

In the ninth episode of Daredevil: Born Again, Kingpin viciously disfigures Gallo, marking one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most gruesome and intense scenes to date. Here’s a look at how they pulled off this shocking moment.

Since the beginning of the season, Gallo and Fisk have found themselves at odds. However, the commissioner remains skeptical that Fisk genuinely intends to serve the city. An attempt by Fisk to resign, taking a large portion of the NYPD with him, was met with a countermeasure from the mayor, who threatened Fisk with photographs of his hidden child as leverage.

In the final episode of Daredevil, Fisk is enraged following Bullseye’s attack on him. He plans to authorize his task force to chase down Poindexter and any other vigilante, disregarding legal procedures or warrants. Furthermore, he intends to impose a citywide lockdown until he feels they have done enough work.

It doesn’t take long to realize that Gallo poses a problem and is a burden for Fisk if he aspires to truly rule New York. Eliminating him seems necessary, and the method by which Fisk carries out this act is simply dreadful.

Gallo’s death in Daredevil: Born Again was done with practical effects

During a conversation with Bloody Disgustic, actors Vincent D’Onofrio and directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead shared the intricate details behind the shocking death of their character Gallo in the movie.

As a reminder, Fisk brutally beats Gallo, making him fall to his knees. Then, he forcefully squeezes Gallo’s head until blood streams from his eyes. Next, Fisk violently pulls Gallo’s jaw away from his face and tears off the top of his skull on camera. It’s incredibly gruesome, and the “skull crush” effect was created using advanced technology to scan the actor’s body and create a realistic mold.

As a game enthusiast, I recall discussing the intricate details of our approach with the visual effects teams, me being the one who shared this information.

Aaron and I have been extensively involved in mold casting work, even going as far as undergoing the process ourselves. However, the technique they employed here, 3D scanning, was not something we were overly familiar with. Given our lack of experience, I believe that was one of the factors that left us amazed at how lifelike the results were without any post-processing.

I’m waiting for the inevitable Kingpin vs Gallo youtube video #DaredevilBornAgain

— sebanatic the 5000th (@sebanatic5000) April 16, 2025

Brandon Grether, part of the team responsible for the show’s special makeup effects, elaborated on the scene by saying, “Rather than using lifecasts, we’ve shifted towards making scans instead. We now use a portable high-definition scanner.

Our scanning method differs from traditional photogrammetry in several ways. While it captures intricate details of skin texture, the process can be more challenging due to potential issues with motion blur when actors are moving. This often results in a somewhat patchy output that requires post-processing to ensure smoothness.

We scanned Gaston with an expression that resembled a loud scream, which isn’t typically possible with lifecasting. It was quite unusual to say, ‘Michael, please take a seat and pretend your head is being squashed.’ In the early hours, he was taken aback and asked, ‘Pardon me?’ To which we responded, ‘Scream as if your head is being crushed.’

I can’t help but be captivated by the lifelike prosthetic head prop that Commissioner Gallo sports in the season finale of Daredevil: Born Again. As a gamer, it’s fascinating to see such intricate details and craftsmanship that bring characters like him to life!

— Daredevil Shots (@_DaredevilShots) April 16, 2025

We managed to take a full-body scan of him while he was posing. Due to its complexity, the scan required some digital editing. Subsequently, we printed his head in several segments, assembled them, re-molded the combined piece, and from this mold, we produced the final castings.

Afterward, they meticulously inserted each hair one by one using a needle, a process known as “hair-by-hair punching”. This method was used to create the mustache, eyebrows, eyelashes, and the sides of his head.

Grether explained that they placed a wig at the top, colored it, designed a 3D-printed lower jaw to attach below, and this process played a significant role in the restoration. The lower jaw secured itself back during each reset, and we inserted his genuine upper teeth as well.

Why Gallo’s death was so brutal in Daredevil: Born Again

In contrast to the original Daredevil series, which wasn’t hesitant to depict violence, Gallo’s death marked an unprecedented escalation, not just for the show, but also for Marvel in its entirety.

As per the directors’ accounts, D’Onofrio appeared remarkably passionate about the head crush scene. Benson humorously puts it this way: “I’m not entirely kidding when I say this. In truth, he took charge of this particular aspect,” Benson reminisced.

For D’Onofrio, it was important that the violence depicted went beyond the typical skull-crushing scenes common in many films. “I didn’t wish to be part of the usual film violence involving people getting their skulls crushed,” the actor explained. “It always seems to involve thumbing the eyes and such.

I felt it necessary to mirror the stark, gruesome violence present in the initial series, as he seems ready to immerse himself in the filthiest possible manner during the act.

Aaron, to prevent it, I placed myself in such a way that he was in front of me, then I guided everyone on how to perform the exact maneuver for crushing.

While we wait, let’s explore what information is available about Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 and see how its post-credits scene paves the way for Jon Bernthal’s Punisher special. Additionally, discover where Daredevil: Born Again stands in our ranking of all Marvel TV series.

Read More

2025-04-16 18:54