As Daredevil: Born Again's first episodes premiere on Disney+, Marvel Studios just introduced its 15th notable vigilante into the grand Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Meet Every Vigilante in the MCU
The MCU has told the tales of heroes across the technological, magical, supernatural, cosmic, and more. But perhaps the most grounded tales are told with its vigilantes - the simpler heroes who don a mask and step outside the law to tackle crime in their city, which mostly happens to be New York.
Daredevil: Born Again, which is now airing on Disney+, tells another one of those tales as Matt Murdock faces off with Kingpin and other villains in New York.
But Daredevil won't be the only vigilante in the Disney+ series, as the first batch of episodes delivered the heroic - and tragic - story of White Tiger.
White Tiger
"He's a hero." Matt Murdock, while defending Hector Ayala for his corrupted cop killing case, publicly ousted Hector as the vigilante White Tiger as a last-resort attempt to convince the jury to find him rightfully innocent in Daredevil: Born Again.
Hector's White Tiger, not unlike Murdock's Daredevil, fights against criminals on the streets of New York City. However, he is assisted by the mystical Amulet of Power, which bolsters his fighting abilities.
Unfortunately, White Tiger's acquittal doesn't make him a free man for long, as he meets a tragic fate in Episode 3 of Daredevil: Born Again. However, the series has already hinted that the White Tiger mantle will live on via a different, younger suitor.
Ayala is played by late Puerto Rican actor Kamar de los Reyes, who filmed his scenes shortly before his unfortunate passing in December 2023 at age 56.
Daredevil
Matt Murdock is a blind lawyer putting criminals away in the courtroom by day, but by night, he uses his enhanced senses and martial arts training to take on New York's toughest criminals. He is believed to have been active for over 10 years, starting as a vigilante in 2015 and continuing to operate as Daredevil in the Blip.
Charlie Cox was introduced as Matt Murdock in a three-season solo Netflix show before rejoining the MCU under Marvel Studios across Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Echo, and, soon, Daredevil: Born Again.
Elektra
Elektra trained as an assassin for Chaste, an ancient organization meant to oppose the Hand. After being killed, she was resurrected by the Hand to fight their cause and take on the Defenders (including her love interest, Daredevil), only to meet her demise once more under the rubble of a building.
While the MCU's Elektra was played by Elodie Yung, Jennifer Garner reprised her role as the Elektra to Ben Affleck's Daredevil in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine.
Punisher
Marvel fans are more than familiar with Frank Castle, a former U.S. Marine whose entire family was killed, thus leading him to become the Punisher. Under this mantle, Frank set course to clear New York of crime by any means necessary, taking it upon himself to kill those in his path.
Frank Castle will next be seen this year in Daredevil: Born Again, but rumor has it that Jon Bernthal may reprise the role in a new Punisher Disney+ series.
Echo
Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez was once the protégé of Wilson Fisk, having grown up under him before discovering he was responsible for her father's death.
She debuted in Hawkeye as a deaf, trained fighter before discovering in Echo that she actually has powers. As a descendant of the Choctaw tribe, Maya can call upon the skills of her ancestors, including enhanced strength, reflexes, and healing.
Iron Fist (Danny Rand)
Danny Rand, son of wealthy CEO Wendell Rand, lost his parents in a plane crash that he survived after being rescued by the monks of K'un-Lun. It was here that Rand became the Immortal Iron Fist, uncovering the ability to channel chi energy into his hand and conjure powerful, glowing punches.
While Finn Jones' hero hasn't been seen since his Netflix series ended, an all-new Iron Fist recently debuted under Marvel Studios in What If...?.
Colleen Wing
But that wasn't the only Iron Fist in the Netflix show, as martial arts expert Colleen Wing also took on the title to help defeat Davos in Season 2. Eventually, Wing began using the Iron Fist and a family heirloom katana infused with chi energy to act as a vigilante taking on criminals in New York.
One episode of Luke Cage was even positioned as a backdoor pilot for Wing to lead a spin-off with Misty Knight, but that never came to pass.
Luke Cage
The Hero of Harlem, Luke Cage, was subjected to an experiment that left him with enhanced strength and almost unbreakable skin. In the aftermath of Luke Cage, he became the owner of the shady nightclub Harlem's Paradise and the New York borough's new mob boss, hoping to use that influence to stop crime.
Jessica Jones
Private investigator Jessica Jones discovered her superhuman abilities young after surviving a car crash and pursuing a career as a superhero. But after an encounter with the mind-controlling villain Kilgrave, she left that life behind her.
Eventually, Jones combined her investigative skills with her enhanced strength, durability, healing, and speed to take down Kilgrave and several other adversaries.
Jones was once reportedly planned to return in Daredevil: Born Again until a change of plans shifted her role over to the Punisher.
Hellcat
Former model, radio host, and child TV star Trish Walker acquired powers from the same person who granted them to help her adoptive sister, Jessica Jones. This led her to become the vigilante Hellcat, but, ultimately, she lost her way and became a killer herself, leading to her arrest and imprisonment in the Raft.
Spider-Man
The MCU's Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, has dealt with everything from New York criminals to villains from across the Multiverse. After the memory of the man behind the mask, Peter Parker, was wiped from the universe, MCU boss Kevin Feige has teased he will next be "going into the street level heroes."
Hawkeye
After his years under SHIELD and the Avengers, Clint Barton took a different path as Hawkeye in his solo Disney+ series. The show saw him leave behind the threats of alien invasions and time travel chaos to take on the Tracksuit Mafia, a New York crime syndicate overseen by Kingpin.
Hawkeye isn't the only vigilante mantle held by Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton, as, during the Blip, he operated as Ronin. Under this moniker, Barton, driven by the grief of losing his family to the Snap, took on a ninja suit and weaponry to kill criminals who survived the Snap.
Kate Bishop
Kate Bishop was inspired by Clint Barton at a young age, driving her to become a master of archery. When the events of Hawkeye rolled around, Bishop got the chance to meet her idol and join him in taking down the Tracksuit Mafia before she too earned the mantle of Hawkeye, setting up her Young Avengers future.
Yelena Belova
While Natasha Romanoff used her Red Room training to become a SHIELD agent and Avenger, her sister, Yelena Belova, took another path as a Black Widow. She set herself on a mission to free the other brainwashed Black Widows and kill the man she saw as responsible for her sister's death, Clint Barton.
Coming off her roles in Black Widow and Hawkeye, Florence Pugh will reprise Yelena Belova this year in Thunderbolts where she and other familiar MCU faces will come toe-to-toe with a new hero, Sentry.
Moon Knight
Marc Spector is a U.S. Marine-turned-mercenary with dissociative identity disorder, leading him to have multiple aliases in his head, including Steven Grant. While on a mission in Egypt, Spector became the Avatar of the god Khonshu, taking up the alias of Moon Knight to operate as a vigilante.
