‘Daredevil’ Hero Reportedly Replaced, Female Actor To Take on New Disney+ Show

in Marvel

Charlie Cox as Daredevil with the Born Again logo

Credit: Inside the Magic

Will Marvel really replace this new superhero?

Kingpin and Daredevil with the Born Again title
Credit: Marvel Studios, edited by ITM

Related: Disney Finally Listens to Fans, Scraps Old MCU Approach

Currently, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is entering Phase Five, which marks the second installment of the Multiverse Saga. Under The Walt Disney Company’s wing, Marvel Studios is expanding its storytelling canvas by integrating diverse superhero ensembles beyond the central Avengers.

During San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Kevin Feige disclosed that the MCU plans to unveil specialized teams capable of addressing a range of threats, encompassing cosmic, supernatural, and street-level challenges.

MCU CANON; Daredevil Movie Collage. Daredevil on the left and the Defenders on the right
Credit: Inside the Magic

Leading the charge in broadening superhero stories on Earth are Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock/Daredevil, now designated as Marvel’s torchbearers in the street-level superhero realm. Marvel Studios is tasked with reintroducing the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen to the current MCU audience, given the character’s absence since the culmination of the Netflix Marvel Daredevil (2015) series, which was previously halted indefinitely in 2018 following the announcement of Disney+ (Disney Plus).

Charlie Cox as Matt Murdoch fixing his tie in front of New York City
Credit: Netflix

Related: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Leaks, Everything We Know So Far

A New Daredevil Hero, Already Gone?

According to Hollywood insider Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK), it appears as if the rumors about the iconic Daredevil hero from the Marvel Comics, White Tiger, set to be portrayed in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again — and whose existence was leaked previously — is going to undergo a bit of a change.

Hector Ayala’s White Tiger is going to be replaced by a female White Tiger, according to Daniel Richtman (via Cosmic Marvel):

A White Tiger show is reportedly in the works at Marvel Studios.

The show will feature a female White Tiger.

#DaredevilBornAgain will feature a male White Tiger.

(via @DanielRPK
| http://patreon.com/posts/99096957)

This female White Tiger will likely be Ava Ayala, Hector Ayala’s niece.

The White Tiger persona is adopted by various Marvel characters, each with a distinct narrative and background. The original White Tiger, Hector Ayala, made his debut in “Deadly Hands of Kung Fu” #19 in 1975. He acquired superhuman abilities from a mystical amulet passed down through his family, making him a strong candidate for Born Again, given the leaked images portraying an actor with a seemingly masculine physique.

White Tiger leaping toward an enemy with a white tiger behind him
Credit: Marvel Comics

Over time, different individuals have taken on the White Tiger mantle, two prominent females having assumed the identity. They include Angela del Toro, a former FBI agent, and Ava Ayala, Hector’s niece. Angela del Toro, introduced in 2004’s “Daredevil”, has become a prominent figure as White Tiger in recent comics, boasting enhanced strength, agility, and senses along with a suit that augments her martial arts skills.

Ava Ayala, first appearing in 2011, is another noteworthy White Tiger, wielding a mystical amulet that enhances her physical abilities and enables her to commune with the White Tiger spirit.

The female White Tiger with a giant white tiger behind her
Credit: Marvel Comics

Seeing as there is more than one possible candidate for the role of “female White Tiger”, it’s very likely that the new Disney+ show will center around either Angela del Toro or Ava Ayala. Based on Hector Ayala’s introduction in Born Again, it’s very likely that the new vigilante might see an unfortunate end at the hands of either Vincent D’Onofrio’s Mayor Fisk, on that crusade for vigilantes promised at the end of Echo, or perhaps Jon Bernthal’s justice-bound Punisher/Frank Castle.

Either way, it leaves the way wide open for a compelling White Tiger follow-up series, should Born Again prove popular. With the street-level story expanding going into Captain America: Brave New World, Spider-Man 4, and eventually Avengers: Secret Wars, who knows what might happen?

Are you excited for a female-led White Tiger series by Marvel? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

More on Daredevil: Born Again

After Kevin Feige declared that the upcoming Marvel TV series Daredevil: Born Again would act as a soft reboot of the franchise, fans expressed concern. Significant casting changes, further stirred uncertainty about the show’s direction. Unexpected recasting choices, like Sandrine Holt replacing Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk, and the absence of Matt Murdock’s close allies and legal colleagues Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), added to the unease among the Marvel fanbase.

With mounting fan apprehension and the recent lukewarm reception of Marvel Studios’ projects, Feige discarded Born Again‘s initial half-season worth of content entirely. This move involved removing all writers and creatives linked to the project, opting instead to assemble an entirely new creative team.

The forthcoming Marvel television series, now under filmmaking duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Moon Knight, Loki) took on the directorial duties for the upcoming episodes. Philip Silvera, the stunt coordinator of the famed “hallway fight” scene who had previously worked on the Netflix series, was brought in alongside other familiar faces from the Netflix show. This is all part of a concerted effort to align Born Again as a “Season 4” of the Netflix show, rather than a reboot.

Daredevil: Born Again is poised to delve into the theme of villains, vigilantes, and moral ambiguity, with the MCU’s take on Daredevil’s rogue’s gallery from Marvel Comics, introducing new adversaries while welcoming back familiar faces. In this new storyline, Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye/Benjamin Poindexter AKA Dex, is set to return, alongside Jon Bernthal’s Punisher/Frank Castle, Charlie Cox’s Daredevil/Matt Murdock, and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin/Wilson Fisk.

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