Daredevil: Born Again Episode 3 Hit Fans With Another Shocking Death (& Now The Punisher Is Somehow Involved)

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Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again brought back Daredevil after the original series was canceled, but it opened with the tragic murder of Foggy Nelson. While this led Matt to hang up the suit and billy club, seemingly for good, there are other vigilantes in New York City, including the MCU’s Spider-Man. Another hero, Hector Ayala (aka the White Tiger) also appeared in the show to represent these other New York heroes.

Out of costume, Hector tried to stop two corrupt police officers from beating a man called Nicky Torres. While fighting them, one fell onto the subway tracks and died. The surviving cop arrested Hector and tried to frame him for an unprovoked attack. Even though Matt found Nicky, he lied on the stand, seemingly dooming Hector’s case. Meanwhile, eagle-eyed viewers noticed tattoos of the Punisher logo on some of the cops at the trial, suggesting they are the ones who killed Hector.

Who Is the White Tiger in Daredevil: Born Again & Why Is He Important?

White Tiger Was the First Latine Superhero in Mainstream Comics

There have been many characters in comics history called White Tiger, but Hector was chronologically the first. He was also the first Latine superhero in mainstream comics, making him a representational figure. The character’s appearance in Born Again is the first time he was adapted into live-action. Unfortunately, viewers didn’t get to see much of him, as actor Kamar de los Reyes had cancer and passed away in December 2023. It’s likely this narrative choice was driven by that tragic reality. As much as fans would like more of Hector in the show, it would have been disrespectful to eradicate his last role.

Against his client’s wishes, Matt Murdock revealed Hector was the White Tiger in open court. This allowed him to present character witnesses (specifically the people the hero saved) because “it was the right thing to do.” This story bolsters a theme throughout the series, where the vigilantes do the jobs institutional figures, like the police, fail to do. In Episode 2, Hector talks about how, as White Tiger, he was investigating a rash of disappearances. These missing people are those the police and society at large overlook or simply don’t care about.

Matt told Hector that he could no longer be the White Tiger after the trial, speaking from his experience as Daredevil. Despite being forced to fight two of the dirty cops while hunting Nicky, Matt reveals he “doesn’t miss being him.” Yet, the night he was acquitted and released, Hector suited up and hit the streets. With Daredevil gone, he felt more obligated than ever to serve the city as a hero. Unfortunately, someone was waiting for him in the darkness. Hector didn’t even get a chance to fight back before someone killed him. While the culprit will surely be revealed, fans might believe it was Frank Castle.

Did the Punisher Actually Kill Hector Ayala?

White Tiger’s Murderer Was Surely a Crooked Cop

At first glance,it might seem like the Punisher killed Hector Ayala. The final shot of the episode shows the killer walking towards the camera, with the familiar Punisher’s skull logo painted on a vest. However, there is simply no rational reason Frank would target White Tiger. This, along with the cops’ tattoos, means Daredevil: Born Again adapts the troubling history of the police adopting the Punisher logo. These cops worship Frank Castle because he kills with impunity, and they are bound by the law.

“I don’t think Mr. Ayala is going to get a fair trial. You know why? He’s Puerto Rican, they are going to single him out. If you have enough evidence, send him to prison. But give him a fair trial.” — a New Yorker on the BB Report.

Setting aside whether Frank Castle is a hero or villain, cops wearing his symbol are always the latter. The Punisher doesn’t care about the presumption of innocence, probable cause or any other rights that protect people from unjust persecution. If Matt Murdock hadn’t stepped in to defend Hector, he would have ended up dead before he even had a trial. The cops who wear the Punisher’s symbol aren’t, like Frank, people whom the system failed. They represent the rare case where the system actually worked, stopping them from doing whatever they wanted rather than “the right thing to do.”

Hector Ayala would have been murdered as retribution for daring to go up against these crooked cops. Only as White Tiger, he was killed for that and making the police look bad. The unsanctioned vigilantes are better at protecting and serving than the police. In fairness, Wilson Fisk is actively making it harder for good cops to do their jobs. There aren’t enough people on the force nor overtime hours to fill those holes. So, even if Commissioner Gallo wanted to ride the force of the Punisher fanboys, it would only leave the NYPD of Daredevil: Born Again less ready to serve the city.

The MCU’s Frank Castle Would Not Kill Someone Like White Tiger

Daredevil: Born Again Is Tackling a Troubling Trend With the Punisher and the Police

The war the Punisher wages is motivated by trauma, specifically the death of his family. Additionally, the version of Frank Castle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a victim of systemic corruption and the betrayal of his best friend. In Daredevil Season 2 and his own series, Frank doesn’t just wantonly kill criminals. He even spares a few, like Turk, because he has a strict, perhaps twisted, code of honor. If Frank killed White Tiger, the Punisher’s character would have been assassinated along with Hector.

Beyond his revenge, Frank became the Punisher to protect people who couldn’t protect themselves. Whatever he’s been up to since his series ended, it’s safe to assume that Frank is selective about his targets to ensure, as he told Daredevil when they first met, “the people I kill need killing.” One reason bad cops in the real-world embrace the Punisher logo is because the comic version is less discriminate. If the police misunderstand who the Punisher is in Daredevil: Born Again, it will make that story all the more resonant.

As a veteran, Frank Castle understands duty, service and the power of restraint. In fact, his trouble began when he realized his unit was being used to kill innocent people. The cops who have perverted his symbol and his mission will likely be met with the same retribution. To Frank, they are nothing but oathbreakers without honor. If a witness or even Matt Murdock believes he killed Hector, Frank will have a clear reason to act. He will do what he does best: render punishment on the thugs and murderers no one else is willing to stop.

Daredevil: Born Again debuts new episodes Tuesdays at 9 PM on Disney+.

“}]] Another Marvel Cinematic Universe hero meets his mortal end in Daredevil: Born Again, but did The Punisher really pull the trigger this time?  Read More