As Daredevil: Born Again’s 2025 release date nears, a new thrilling theory has emerged about a potential secret superhero origin story. When Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock made MCU cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk, it created a lot of excitement about what was to come for the hero. He had previously starred in his own Daredevil Netflix series like the other Marvel Defenders, and it was unknown at the time whether Marvel would ever fully include them in the MCU. However, Daredevil: Born Again was soon announced, confirming Matt’s canon MCU status.
Not relying too heavily on the previous Netflix series, Daredevil: Born Again is expected to be a soft reboot of sorts for the character. The characters and settings will stay the same, but the new series will explore stories that align with the MCU’s overarching plot. Not much else is known about the exact direction of the first season, but fans can expect to see returning favorites alongside Cox’s Daredevil such as Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. Fans can also expect the debut of brand-new characters, including one new hero who may spawn a secret origin story.
Daredevil: Born Again Set Video Teases The Death Of The White Tiger
The Set Footage Mirrors Hector Ayala’s Comic Death
Fans first saw glimpses of the hero White Tiger in the Daredevil: Born Again trailer shown at D23 earlier this year, who was later confirmed to be played by the late Kamar de los Reyes. Hector Ayala was a normal human in the comics until he found the tiger amulets that had been discarded by the Sons of the Tiger, a trio of martial arts students. Wearing all three Jade Tiger amulets gave Hector a superhuman physiology, including the usual enhanced strength, speed, and stamina. He also became skilled in martial arts and could accelerate healing with the amulets.
Leaked set footage from the Daredevil: Born Again production was posted on social media earlier this year, offering fans a glimpse at White Tiger’s live-action suit in motion for the first time. However, the clip also seemingly confirms the character’s death. Hector walks down a dimly lit path at night in his White Tiger suit and is then shot by an unknown individual who emerges from the shadows. The hooded figure then leaves Hector in the street, leaving him for dead.
If the set footage is actually Hector’s final fate, then it seems like Daredevil: Born Again will be following White Tiger’s Marvel Comics storyline pretty closely. In the Marvel comics, Hector gave up the tiger amulets that power him in order to live a quiet life with his girlfriend. However, the call to the superhero life is too tempting to him and he picks up the mantle once again. Soon after, he is wrongfully arrested for murder and despite Matt’s efforts in court, Hector is shot dead while trying to escape as shown in the Daredevil: Born Again set footage.
Hector Ayala’s Death Inspired His Niece To Become A Superhero In The Comics
Angela Del Toro Inherits The Tiger Amulets
After Hector dies in the comics, the White Tiger mantle is taken up by his niece Angela Del Toro. Originally an FBI agent, she quits the force after inheriting the tiger amulets in order to try and understand them better. Daredevil even takes Angela under his wing, training her in the amulet’s powers since becoming familiar with them through Hector. Angela dons the White Tiger suit until she is killed by the evil ninja clan, the Hand, and resurrected as their servant. She is eventually healed from her enthralment by Black Tarantula and reunites with Daredevil.
Angela’s appearance in Daredevil: Born Again has not been hinted at, but the death of her uncle Hector would make her MCU debut a real possibility. The series could detail the timeline of Daredevil and White Tiger’s first team-up, Hector’s death after Matt fails to prove his innocence, and then Angela’s path to inheriting the amulets and hero moniker. It wouldn’t mean that Angela’s White Tiger origin story would be the central focus of the show. Simply featuring her story in the greater context of Daredevil’s own would be a sufficient set-up for any future MCU project.
Featuring Angela in Daredevil: Born Again would also help fans familiarize themselves with the character alongside one that they already love in Matt Murdock. This strategy has worked for a handful of other new MCU characters, such as Clint Barton and Kate Bishop’s team-up in Hawkeye and Doctor Strange and America Chavez’s alliance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Having a new character work alongside a long-standing one creates a great dynamic, and it strengthens fans’ investment in the character going forward.
White Tiger’s MCU Debut Would Fit Perfectly With The Multiverse Saga
The Multiverse Has Been Full Of Cosmic Entities
The Multiverse Saga has shown just how large the MCU’s cosmic pantheon truly is, and exploring them comes naturally in the context of the multiverse. So far, powerful entities like the Watcher, Eternity, and the Living Tribunal have been teased in the Multiverse Saga, and Angela’s potential MCU debut in Daredevil: Born Again could mark the introduction of yet another cosmic entity into the greater Marvel universe.
The Jade Tiger amulets are powered by the Tiger God, who represents humanity’s fear of the dark and tigers. The Tiger God was said to be the first thing humanity feared, though its power has been weakened in modern times due to humanity conquering their fear. The Tiger God gave its powers to a tiger statue in K’un-Lun, which was then used to produce the three Jade Tiger amulets that the White Tiger wears. The Tiger God has an extensive Marvel history and would fit in perfectly among the MCU’s current cosmic pantheon if introduced during the Multiverse Saga.
It’s unlikely that Marvel would debut a character like White Tiger just to have the character permanently killed in the first season of Daredevil: Born Again. If Hector’s death in the series is final, then Angela taking up the White Tiger mantle feels very likely in order for the studio to continue with the character. The current MCU marks the perfect place for Angela’s White Tiger debut, as the hero will gain recognition in Daredevil: Born Again while seamlessly fitting in with the Multiverse Saga’s bigger themes.
