Beyond the Gates’ Ben Gavin Breaks Silence On Derek’s Exit – “Definitely A Shocker”

Beyond the Gates spoilers note that the Wednesday, May 20 episode was a sad one for fans of Derek Baldwin, as the firefighter-turned-free-clinic-manager passed away as a hero, jumping in front of a bullet to save Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges). Ben Gavin recently broke his silence regarding Derek’s dramatic exit from Fairmont Crest.

When Ben Gavin Learned About Derek’s Departure

Gavin spoke to TV Insider about Derek’s exit and what he has planned next. The actor told the online magazine that he found out that his BTG character was going to be shot and killed in December 2025.

While he noted it was “definitely a shocker,” he also understood that Derek’s exit would serve a great purpose as a climax to the plasma ring storyline. Gavin states, “They made it pretty clear that this was something that they needed and for the sake of the story, it couldn’t just be anyone.”  

Gavin goes on to say, “It had to be someone that they started to really care about to hook the audience, and I understood that.”

Despite Derek going out as a hero, it didn’t make it “… any less difficult to swallow.” With that said, Gavin did reflect that Derek had no family around, and not even a solid job, so he realized there was a chance that he could become an “expendable character.”

Big Send Off

Gavin tells TV Insider that the cast and crew at Beyond the Gates did come together for a big send-off, noting that actors who weren’t shooting that day even came for his “goodbye” party. After all, Gavin was part of the original cast that debuted with the show in February 2025.

Gavin states, “I mean, the tears that were flowing from my castmates and crew family were really heartwarming.”

He goes on to say, “It left me feeling like I made the impact on the people of this show that I could only hope to make. They weren’t just sad for Derek, they were sad to lose me as a castmate, as a colleague, and that meant a lot.”

As for the future, reports reveal that Gavin is looking at a television pilot called ‘Cougar’.

With that said, he also noted during the TV Insider interview that he’d happily return to Beyond the Gates, should the opportunity arise (hey, Derek could have an evil twin, right?)

Gavin states, “That’s my family, and they changed my life for the better. If they call my name, I’ll be there.”

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