Summary

Daredevil: Born Again is receiving positive reviews as the 13th Marvel Studios TV series in the MCU.
Hector Ayala's White Tiger character can have his legacy continued in the MCU through family members.
Potential successors to White Tiger include his niece Angela Del Toro or his sister Ava Ayala in future MCU projects.

Daredevil: Born Again has premiered to primarily positive reviews. The Disney Plus show — the 13th television series produced by Marvel Studios in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — is a revival and continuation of the Daredevil series that aired on Netflix for three seasons between 2015 and 2018 and follows Charlie Cox's eponymous Matt Murdock in his continued fight for justice. The first two episodes reintroduced several key characters, including Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin (now the Mayor of New York City), and introduced several new ones. One of those new characters is Hector Ayala, aka the White Tiger, played by Kamar de los Reyes. Tragically, de los Reyes lost his battle with cancer in 2023, aged just 56, so whatever happens to his character, there will be no more Hector Ayala. However, the White Tiger's legacy could easily be continued in the MCU.

The reason for that possibility is simple: there's a comic book precedent for it. The White Tiger identity doesn't solely belong to Hector Ayala, and there's a respectful way it could be passed on in the MCU that would honor the source material — that being certain members of his family could take on the mantle. Should that occur, there are several potential courses of action for his successors.

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From his original series to appearances in other superheroes' projects, Daredevil has been in the spotlight in the MCU for over a decade.

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By Melody MacReady

Hector Ayala's Role And Fate In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Ayala was introduced as a vigilante who stepped up when Matt Murdock stopped being Daredevil. His fate is currently unknown.

Footage of White Tiger aired in a news report in the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again, "Heaven's Half Hour," showing how other New York City vigilantes had stepped up in the absence of Daredevil, with Matt Murdock having ceased his heroic nightly exploits in the wake of his friend Foggy Nelson's murder. Kamar de los Reyes debuted unmasked as the character's alter-ego, Hector Ayala, in the second episode, "Optics," when he stepped in to stop a beating in a subway, only to be accused of murdering a police officer during the resulting scuffle.

Matt Murdock could tell Ayala was innocent and opted to represent him during his court case. That's where the character currently stands in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Daredevil: Born Again's first two episodes, and it's unknown what his fate is (though, in the comics, he was shot dead by a corrupt cop before he could be proven innocent). Whether he appears again or is killed off in the next episode, de los Reyes' death means Hector Ayala's MCU adventure is ending. He mentioned owning an amulet that gives him powers. Perhaps one of his relatives could inherit it and step into his shoes if Marvel Studios wants to continue his legacy.

Angela Del Toro (Hector Ayala's Niece)

Hector Ayala's niece, Angela del Toro, is already confirmed to exist in the MCU and could take on his mantle.

angela-del-toro-white-tiger — Angel del Toro as White Tiger in Marvel's comic books.

Following the death of Hector Ayala in Marvel's comic books, his niece, Angela del Toro, reluctantly took over his mantle as White Tiger despite being reluctant to do so. She saw the vigilante lifestyle as risky and, having seen her partner Harold Driver killed during the investigation of her brother's murder, had no intention of following in her uncle's footsteps. Still, Matt Murdock convinced her it was her calling.

Del Toro is already confirmed to exist in the MCU, having been namedropped in the sixth episode of Jessica Jones, "AKA You're a Winner!" Jones mentioned del Toro as "a top-notch private investigator" with "reasonable rates." That gives her the perfect route into Daredevil: Born Again, investigating her uncle's death. Bearing that in mind, and remembering she was the direct successor to her uncle in the comics, she seems the likely successor in the MCU.

Though some might see her as a candidate for Young Avengers membership, she's probably a little too senior. Still, her future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe could involve joining a team or organization. In the comics, she was a member of the New Revengers, and following her death at the hands of Lady Bullseye, she was resurrected as an assassin for the Hand (similar to how Daredevil's ally Elektra Natchios was). Something like that could happen in the MCU, or she could join Sam Wilson's new Avengers team or form a new Defenders team. The possibilities are endless.

Ava Ayala (Hector Ayala's Sister)

Hector Ayala's sister, Ava Ayala, would be another plausible successor to her brother in the MCU.

ava-ayala-white-tiger — Ava Ayala as White Tiger in Marvel's comic books.

A less likely candidate to immediately succeed Hector Ayala as White Tiger is his sister, Ava Ayala — she isn't yet confirmed to exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — but the possibility undoubtedly shouldn't be ruled out. In the comics, Ava is often depicted as a teenager, younger than her Aunt, but that's not an impossible scenario if she's much, much younger than her older brother. Should she be introduced as a teenager and inherit the White Tiger amulet as she has done in the source material, she could have a bright future in the MCU.

She's been a member of the Daughters of Liberty, Heroes for Hire, the Mighty Avengers, and the Avengers Academy in the comics. Any of those things could feasibly happen in the MCU. Still, the latter provides a precedent for her teaming up with junior Avengers members, so having her join the franchise's Young Avengers would somewhat follow the source material.

The likes of Jenna Ortega and Emily Tosta have been linked to playing Ava Ayala in the MCU, and both would fit the bill. Nobody would complain if Marvel Studios wanted to skip Angela del Toro (the fourth White Tiger in the comics) and jump straight to Ava Ayala (the fifth) with a talented young actress in the role.

It remains to be seen what happens regarding the White Tiger's legacy in Daredevil: Born Again, but there are ways it could be continued without feeling like Kamar de los Reyes was being disrespected or "replaced." The third episode hits Disney Plus on March 11, 2025.

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