Born Again Can Make White Tiger An Important Part Of The MCU

As the name Daredevil: Born Again suggests, it’s the dawn of a new day for the Man Without Fear. After Charlie Cox made a not-so-surprising debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Spider-Man: No Way Home, the character made cameos in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Echo. Cox is finally set to lead his own project for Daredevil: Born Again in 2025.

While the first footage was shown all the way back at Disney’s May 2024 upfront presentation, fans finally got a real look at Daredevil: Born Again in an action-packed trailer that showed off a dark and gritty direction for the MCU. As well as the much-hyped returns of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk/Kingpin and Jon Bernthals’ Frank Castle/the Punisher, there’s some new blood in the form of Kamar de los Reyes as Hector Ayala/White Tiger. But, just who is this masked vigilante, and what does White Tiger mean for the MCU?

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Who is White Tiger in Marvel Comics?

First appearing on the pages of Marvel Comics for 1975’s Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, there have been many people to take on the mantle of the White Tiger. White Tiger’s debut came in the martial arts-themed black and white comics, also featuring stories for Shang-Chi, Iron Fist, and others. Boasting a typically complicated backstory, Hector Ayala gained powers from three Jade Tiger amulets that came from Iron Fist’s city of K’un-Lun. Granted with superhuman strength and agility, Ayala became hooked on its energy and tried to step away from the role of White Tiger.

After retiring from being a hero, Ayala was lured back and wrongly accused of murder. Although he’d previously fought alongside Daredevil, he ended up appointing Murdock as his lawyer to try and prove his innocence. There was a tragic turn, as shortly before evidence exonerating Ayala was revealed, he fled the courthouse and was gunned down by security guards in 2003’s Daredevil Vol. 2 #58. Even before this, the second White Tiger debuted in 1997’s Heroes for Hire #1. This was a very different version and was an actual white Bengal tigress that evolved into a crime-fighting woman.

The third White Tiger was Kevin “Kasper” Cole – a man known for impersonating Black Panther. Cole was offered a synthetic version of the heart-shaped herb, but instead of becoming the official Black Panther, he was known as a White Tiger of the Panther Cult.

Aside from Hector Ayala, the most infamous White Tiger is the fourth version. Hector’s niece is FBI agent Angela del Toro, who following his death, inherited the Jade Tiger amulet. Due to Murdock’s ties to Hector, he trained Angela in the ways of the White Tiger. Angela was sadly killed by Lady Bullseye and resurrected as an assassin for the Hand in a similar way to Elektra Natchios.

The fifth and final White Tiger arrived in 2011’s Avengers Academy #20, with Ava Ayala being Hector’s younger sister and Angela’s aunt. As well as fighting with the Heroes for Hire, Ava went on to join the Mighty Avengers alongside the likes of Superior Spider-Man, She-Hulk, Spectrum, and Falcon. She also featured in 2015’s Secret Wars, meaning she could be a potential inclusion in the Russo Brothers’ upcoming live-action Avengers: Secret Wars, although it seems unlikely given that Daredevil: Born Again is only just introducing Hector. Then again, the MCU tends to move pretty quickly.

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White Tiger’s Potential Role in the MCU

Hector Ayala is an important part of comic history, and after DC Comics’ El Gaucho, is the second Latin American superhero in mainstream comics. More than this, Ayala is Marvel Comics’ first Latin American superhero, the first US Latino superhero, and the first Puerto Rican superhero. Reyes’ appearance in the MCU comes after the likes of Tenoch Huerta, Zoe Saldaña, and Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight have represented the Latin American community.

Sadly, Kamar de los Reyes’ tragic passing at the end of 2023 makes the future of White Tiger unclear. Until Daredevil: Born Again comes out, fans won’t know what direction White Tiger’s arc will take. There’s a chance the MCU could recast like Ahsoka is tipped to do with Ray Stevenson’s Baylan Skoll. If not, one of the many other White Tigers could take over to continue the character’s legacy. White Tiger’s importance in the comics suggests that this is a hero the MCU is only just starting to make use of. With a New Avengers roster already being set up, others like the Young Avengers, X-Men, and Thunderbolts are waiting in the wings. If the Defendersverse kicks back into action, any version of White Tiger could be on a mythical Heroes for Hire team.

It’s no coincidence that there have been swirling rumors that Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega is set to join the MCU, with White Tiger being a popular choice. Ortega already appeared in the franchise as the Vice President’s Daughter in Iron Man 3, but with her more recent rise to fame, fans are begging for her to get cast in a substantial role in the world’s highest-grossing franchise. In particular, there’s speculation that she’ll be playing the Angela del Toro era of the character, which could be neatly cued by Hector’s potential death in the series. There’s been no official word on her joining the MCU, although it’s possible she’s been snuck into Daredevil: Born Again without people knowing.

White Tiger’s MCU debut has actually been a long time coming. Back in Jessica Jones‘ sixth episode, the titular Jones (Krysten Ritter) recommended Angel del Toro as a ‘top-notch’ private investigator to help Luke Cage (Mike Colter) with a missing person case. The Easter egg never went further than that, but with Born Again confirmed as a canon continuation of Netflix’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones is presumably also part of the MCU. With Daredevil: Born Again looking like it’s leaning into the Devil’s Reign crossover from the comics where vigilantes are outlawed by Mayor Fisk, White Tiger is well-placed to join Punisher as a much-needed ally for Matt Murdock.