The dedication shown at the beginning of Daredevil: Born Again episode 2 for Kamar de los Reyes begins the new Marvel show on a somber note. In Daredevil: Born Again‘s cast, de los Reyes portrays Hector Ayala, a character who becomes integral to the show during its second episode. By the time of Daredevil: Born Again episode 2’s ending, Hector’s importance to the show becomes a main focus thanks to Matt Murdock’s defense of him during a case in which the former is accused of killing an NYPD officer.
Unbeknownst to Matt at first, Hector moonlights as Daredevil: Born Again‘s White Tiger, a vigilante dedicated to stopping crime in New York after the titular hero’s retirement. After discovering this, Matt makes clear the importance of Hector providing any and all information about himself that the former needs to help the latter escape his wrongful charges. While the ending of Daredevil: Born Again episode 2 leaves Hector’s fate up in the air, the beginning of the installment features a dedication to his actor, Kamar de los Reyes.
Kamar de los Reyes Died In December 2023
Long Before Daredevil: Born Again’s Premiere
The dedication to Kamar de los Reyes at the beginning of Daredevil: Born Again is to commemorate the actor’s tragic passing in December 2023. De los Reyes was reported to have died on Christmas Eve that year, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Aside from Daredevil: Born Again, de los Reyes is best known for his role as Antonia Vega in the ABC soap opera Only Life to Live, a role he played for 14 years between 1995 and 2009.
Beyond that, de los Reyes was known for Fox’s Sleepy Hollow and the CW’s All American. Another big role of de los Reyes’ over the years was that of Raul Menendez in several installments of the Call of Duty video game franchise. Daredevil: Born Again marks one of the few posthumous releases of de los Reyes’ career, with another being his role in the video game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle in 2024.
Why Hector Ayala Is An Important Character In The MCU
The Dedication To de los Reyes Is Crucial In More Ways Than One
Although Kamar de los Reyes’ untimely death is reason enough to dedicate Daredevil: Born Again episode 2 to him, Hector Ayala’s importance to the MCU is another. After all, Hector Ayala is one of the first Hispanic main characters in the franchise’s history. While Gabriel Luna appeared as Ghost Rider in Agents of SHIELD, that show is yet to be confirmed as MCU canon. Beyond this, few other Hispanic characters have received a big focus in a Marvel project.
Those who have, such as America Chavez and Joaquin Torres, do not have as overt ties to their culture as Hector Ayala does as White Tiger. White Tiger’s powers are linked inherently to pendants from Puerto Rico, Kamar de los Reyes’ home country. As such, Hector’s role in Daredevil: Born Again and the wider MCU cannot be understated in terms of its importance as a step forward for wider representation in the franchise, making the show’s dedication to Kamar de los Reyes all the more meaningful after his tragic passing.
Daredevil: Born Again
9/10
- Release Date
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March 4, 2025
- Showrunner
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Chris Ord
- Directors
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Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
- Writers
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Chris Ord