Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Episode 3.Oh, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox). What makes you think that we can rely on the legal system to deliver justice? The trial of Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes) has officially drawn to a close, but the jury’s verdict is not the most surprising development. Once again, the most recent episode of Daredevil: Born Again delves into the legal state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially now that the vigilante hub of New York is facing an unfriendly administration run by Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio).
The last episode officially introduced audiences to the vigilante crime fighter known as The White Tiger, who has been filling the void left by Daredevil. The man behind the mask, Hector Ayala, stands accused of murdering a police officer when, in actuality, he was just trying to stop a bystander from being beaten. With an alleged cop killer on trial who just so happens to have a concealed hobby as a superhero, this is a case tailor-made for the man formerly known as Daredevil. However, as any Daredevil fan already knows, things tend not to go very well for Matt Murdock’s clients, even though he does everything the law allows him to do.
Hector Ayala’s Trial Doesn’t Go As Planned in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Episode 3

Image via Disney+

The episode starts with Matt Murdock visiting Hector Ayala in his cell, where the late Kamar de los Reyes gives a powerful performance with a meaningful monologue regarding his home in Puerto Rico. While he may have to get his hands dirty, Murdock does indeed manage to find and keep hidden Nicky Torres (Nick Jordan) — the victim of the beating Hector witnessed in the subway that started this whole legal affair. Turns out, Nicky is a local drug dealer and a police informant who apparently did something to upset Officer Powell (Hamish Allan-Headley) and his late partner. Powell is still pretty sore from being brutally beaten by Murdock in the last episode, and he’ll do anything to make sure Torres doesn’t take the stand.
Powell even tries to interfere with the trial by getting to Torres before he can testify, but thanks to some sleight of hand from Cherry (Clark Johnson) — who seems to be doing just about all the heavy lifting in the series thus far — Murdock’s star witness is able to arrive on time. Tragically, Torres gets cold feet at the last second and lies about his involvement, likely because of the army of NYPD officers who are at the trial. One of those officers also bears a tattoo of the Punisher logo, further indicating that something fishy is going on within their ranks.
Following the blow during the trial, Matt confides in Cherry and his law firm partner Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki M. James), both of whom are characters that Daredevil: Born Again really needs to start developing further. The first three seasons of Daredevil really gave a lot of agency and screentime to Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), making them feel like equals to Matt Murdock instead of simplistic side characters. Cherry and McDuffie fulfill similar roles, but so far, they haven’t added much to the overall narrative. Plus, they both could have been an easy voice of reason when Murdock does what he does next.

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Matt Murdock Outs Hector Ayala as the White Tiger in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Episode 3

Image via Disney+

With seemingly no other option, Matt Murdock does the unthinkable. While questioning Hector Ayala on the stand, Murdock plays a wild card and pulls out the White Tiger mask, thus revealing Ayala’s secret to the entire world. This gets him scolded by just about everyone, and understandably so, but Murdock believes this is the only way to keep Ayala out of prison, even if it means that the White Tiger won’t be prowling the streets for crime anymore.
Harsh as that may be, Matt ends up being right. By revealing Hector Ayala as the White Tiger, he’s able to lean into emphasizing Ayala’s good deeds as a heroic crime fighter. Murdock even brings in a few police reports chronicling Ayala’s positive impact on the New York community. One of them is endorsed by an “Officer Morales”… hard to believe that isn’t another sly Spider-Man nod referencing Miles Morales’ father.
While some — and by some we mean Wilson Fisk — may call the appeal to sympathy a low blow in the legal world, it proves to be successful. An emotional Hector Ayala is acquitted of all charges, thus making him a free man in the eyes of the law despite his nightly vigilantism. However, an incensed Wilson Fisk — who really isn’t given much to do in this episode, apart from ignoring his criminal colleagues — is furious that a vigilante and alleged cop killer is allowed to roam the streets, even getting a skeptical BB Urich (Genneya Walton) to write another story covering his thoughts on the contentious trial. As it would happen, though, Fisk doesn’t need to worry about Ayala for long.
Is a Punisher Cult Hiding in Plain Sight in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’?

Going against Murdock’s advice and knowing full well that his secret identity is no more, Hector Ayala still dons his White Tiger suit and amulet for another night of protecting the innocent. It is supposed to be a triumphant moment of how an innocent man defied the odds thanks to a charitable goodwill that is near-impossible to repay. His duty to protect New York is something that must make his noble heart soar until… bang.
With zero warning, Ayala is shot in the head in cold blood. The average hero with a dream is crushed within an instant, all thanks to an unsuspecting bullet. Speaking of the unexpected, as the assassin walks toward the frame, we see they have a blatant Punisher logo spray-painted on their bullet-proof vest, just like Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) himself. Which begs the question: where in the world is Frank?
When we last saw him in The Punisher Season 2, Frank Castle was still committed to bringing crime to an end through the most violent and permanent means, which put him at odds with Matt Murdock in Daredevil Season 2. The frequent use of the Punisher’s insignia thus far seems to clearly signify that Castle’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed, even by those who are supposed to rebuke his killings of criminals like police officers (which seems to be touching on how the Punisher logo is used by law enforcement and the military in real life despite being antithetical to what the character represents). What seems to be happening here is the emergence of a shadowy organization that is perverting the Punisher’s image for their own gain, similar to what happened with the Rorschach cult in HBO’s Watchmen series. Still, it remains to be seen if Hector Ayala’s killer is really Frank Castle or if it’s a Punisher copycat.
The first three episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are streaming now on Disney+.

Daredevil: Born Again

The cracks in Daredevil: Born Again’s supporting elements are starting the show, but Episode 3 still has some strong elements.

Release Date

March 4, 2025

Showrunner

Chris Ord

Writers

Chris Ord

Pros & Cons

Kamar de los Reyes gives a performance worthy of more screentime.
The mystery surrounding the Punisher logo is fascinating and topical.
More good superhero courtroom drama!

The side characters aren’t making much of an impression so far.
Wilson Fisk is almost completely sidelined this episode.