Daredevil: Born Again has already established itself as a cornerstone of Marvel’s street-level universe. The first three episodes of the Disney+ series painted a complex picture of New York City’s vigilante landscape, with Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) running on an explicit anti-vigilante platform that targeted figures like Daredevil and even Spider-Man during his inauguration speech. While Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) has abandoned his Daredevil persona, the series introduced Hector Ayala (Kamar De Los Reyes) as the White Tiger, a hero whose mystical amulet granted him enhanced abilities to protect his community. Tragically, Hector’s story came to an abrupt end when he was executed by an assailant wearing the Punisher’s logo after being acquitted in court. However, this week’s episode teases that another masked hero might soon rise from the ashes of this tragedy.
WARNING: Spoilers below for Daredevil: Born Again Episode 4
In Episode 4, Angela Del Toro (Camila Rodriguez), Hector Ayala’s niece, visits Matt Murdock at his law office, bringing with her the burning anger and determination that often serves as the catalyst for a superhero origin story. The scene establishes Angela’s strong sense of justice and deep distrust of the system that failed her uncle. She confronts Matt about her uncle’s investigation into missing people in New York and demands action, clearly frustrated with conventional legal channels. “My uncle, two days before he got shot, you know what he told me? He told me, ‘Don’t rely on anyone to do what you can do for yourself,’” Angela tells Matt, echoing the vigilante philosophy that drives many of Marvel’s street-level heroes.
This powerful exchange establishes several crucial elements for Angela’s character development. First, it shows she’s already following in her uncle’s investigative footsteps, researching the disappearances he was tracking before his death. Second, it reveals her disillusionment with traditional justice systems — she explicitly states she won’t go to the police because they killed her uncle. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it shows Angela embracing her uncle’s self-reliant philosophy, suggesting she’s ready to take matters into her own hands. The scene ends with Angela storming off after Matt’s reluctance to help, setting her on a path that comic readers will recognize as the beginning of her journey to become the next White Tiger.
Image courtesy of Marvel Comics
In the comics, Angela Del Toro’s path to becoming White Tiger is deeply intertwined with her family legacy. As the niece of Hector Ayala, Angela grew up surrounded by heroes, including her “Uncle Danny” (Iron Fist). She initially chose a life of law enforcement, serving as an NYPD officer for four years before joining the FBI, where she graduated in the top percentile of her class at Quantico. Her transformation into White Tiger began after Hector’s tragic death, when his mystical amulets were mysteriously delivered to her.
Much like the MCU version, comic Angela initially struggled with what to do with this legacy. She sought guidance from Matt Murdock, who had recently been outed as Daredevil, and he provided some reluctant mentorship in her early vigilante days. After leaving the FBI, Angela fully embraced the White Tiger identity, receiving further training from Black Widow and eventually a proper superhero costume. The White Tiger amulets granted her formidable abilities, including superhuman strength, speed, agility, enhanced durability, accelerated healing, and heightened senses, powers that allowed her to take on significant threats in New York’s criminal underworld.
The MCU carefully laid the groundwork for Angela’s transformation, mirroring these comic origins. While she’s younger in the MCU, her distrust of the police aligns with her eventual departure from the FBI in the comics. Furthermore, the show has already established the mystical nature of the White Tiger amulet and its importance to the Ayala family. Finally, Angela is seeking Matt Murdock’s help in Born Again, which could evolve into the new White Tiger training under Daredevil’s tutelage.
Angela Del Toro’s potential emergence as White Tiger would fit perfectly into the MCU’s ongoing development of its next generation of heroes. With characters like Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), Ironheart (Dominique Thorne), Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), and most recently Wiccan (Joe Locke) already established, Marvel is clearly building toward a Young Avengers-style team. Angela would bring valuable diversity to this roster, not just in terms of representation but also in her street-level perspective and mystical powers.
New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again premiere on Disney+ every Tuesday.
Do you think Angela del Toro will become the new White Tiger in Daredevil: Born Again? Would you like to see the new White Tiger in future MCU projects? Let us know in the comments!
Episode 4 of Daredevil: Born Again teases the MCU origin story of a classic Marvel Comics street-level vigilante. Read More