Summary
Daredevil: Born Againis a much-needed return to the lower levels of Marvel’s superhero-tinged society. While Captain Marvel and the Guardians of the Galaxy fly around the galaxy fighting for the fate of planets, a lot of the real work happens in dark alleys. The street-level stories of the MCU have so many minor heroes and villains that can’t rely on fancy powers to stand out. Characters like Buck Cashman have nothing to their incredible name besides the strength of ten men and a willingness to use it for evil.
It’s safe tocallDaredevil: Born Againthe most hotly anticipated show in Marvel’s upcoming slate. The broad concept of a Marvel TV show has changed shape several times over the past several years. Most would welcome a return to the Netflix era or even a look back atAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.The current shows have a wide arc of quality, but most of them feel like distractions or disasters.Daredevilcould drag things in the right direction.
Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr.
First Appearance
Daredevil#250 (September 1987)
Buck Cashman is agovernment black ops agentwith the highest imaginable level of security clearance. Marvel describes Buckas a human mutate. He’s just underseven feet tall and nearly 400 pounds. His build is similar to that of Wilson Fisk, granting him a similar level of superhuman strength, speed, and durability. Marvel’s in-house scoring system actually ranks Buckhigher in physical strength than Fisk. He’s also a gifted martial artist with years of government training, which grants him tremendous accuracy and agility while wielding his massive muscles. In his downtime, Buck’s a dad with a questionable connection to the mother of his child. When he’s on the job, he goes by the codename Bullet.
Bullet’s first appearance saw him working for Wilson Fisk under government orders.The Kingpin and theUS Army picked a group of environmental activists called Save the Planet as a target. The army tasked Bullet with helping a hired terrorist bomb the organization’s headquarters, then faking an arrest before letting the bomber go. Matt Murdock intervened but eventually let Bullet leave with his collar. Murdock donned his Daredevil outfit to fight Bullet again after the agent killed a man to frame Save the Planet. Hemanaged to get Bullet arrested for murder, but his connections ensured the charges wouldn’t stick.
Nobody wants us “better.” They just want us to be punished. They want us out of sight. They want to make money off of us.
Bullet joined several villain teams, including Typhoid Mary’s team that nearly assassinated Daredevil. In revenge, Daredevil befriended Bullet’s son and fought him to a standstill, only yielding when he realizedBuck’s only motivation was money. AfterDaredevil unseated Fisk, Bullet became something of a rogue mercenary, teaming up with whoever he could meet. This led to several brutal failures and near-death experiences, including a critical stab wound from one of Warpath’s hunting knives, but it allowed Bullet to keep moving.
Bullet tried to leave his life of crime behind. He took on an F.B.I. assignmentto track down Bullseye, later suffering torture at the villain’s hands. He retired to a remote cabin, living in peace with his dog. Bizarrely, a symbiote called Phage developed the same desire. Phage bonded to Buck’s dog, then took over Buck’s body to serve Carnage. Thesymbiote robbed Buck of his freewill for a while, forcing him to act as aweapon for Carnage’s whims. He worked to kill targets on the monster’s behalf, only stopping after a fall that almost killed him. Buck went to prison for his actions, but Daredevil broke him out. In his most recent appearance,Buck joined Daredevil’s Fist teamto fight Frank Castle’s revamped ninja clan known as the Hand.
Who could Buck Cashman be inDaredevil: Born Again?
Fans know next to nothing about this character. The on-set photographs depict a guy in a suit who seems to be Buck Cashman. He doesn’t look anything like he does in the comics. He’sstanding next to Fisk, whom he should be slightly taller than, but he looks like a regular man in terms of build. They probably would have needed a Braun Strowman type to fit that description. Fisk has a ton of unknown goons, many of whom have names from the comics. Buck is likely to disappear into that group. There are a lot of new characters inDaredevil: Born Again, so the show isn’t likely to give Buck the spotlight he could enjoy.
Who will play Buck Cashman inDaredevil: Born Again?
Arty Froushan will play Buck CashmaninDaredevil: Born Again. Froushan was born in Connecticut but grew up in London. He’s a celebrated actor on the small screen, with several interesting roles in fantasy TV shows. He’s best known for his performance as Jonah Breakspear in Amazon Prime Video’sCarnival Row. Froushan also pops up in the History Channel’sKnightfallseries and HBO’sStrike Back. Froushan is also notable for portraying Ser Qarl Correy in the first season ofHouse of the Dragon.He’s Laenor Velaryon’s illicitlover, who disappears with the prince before the first season’s end.
Buck Cashman is a deceptively interesting character. He seems like a pointless henchman with a long history of violence, but his life with his son and willingness to change sides keep him interesting. Don’t expectDaredevil: Born Againto infect Arty Froushan with the Phage symbiote, but Bullet could still be an important figure.
