Daredevil: Born Again Episode 3, ‘The Hollow of His Hand,’ is largely based on a story from the Daredevil comic ‘Trial of the Century.’ Both stories find Matt Murdock defending the vigilante White Tiger on charges of murdering a police officer. However, the television series makes a number of alterations. While some of these changes are necessary to make the story fit the Marvel Cinematic Universe, some alterations appear arbitrary while others improve upon on the many contrivances of the comics.
How Matt takes the case in Daredevil: Born Again
In Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock stumbles on Hector Ayala’s case by chance. His keen senses allow him to overhear corrupt cops trying to force a confession while Matt is talking to a client in the police station hallway. This, coupled with his detecting the truth of Hector’s claims of innocence, lead Matt to take him on as a client.
Matt’s involvement in the comics is less contrived. He is approached directly by fellow superheroes Luke Cage and Iron Fist, who ask Matt to represent their friend. This change was likely because Marvel Studios was unwilling to bring back Mike Colter and Finn Jones (who play the characters in the MCU) for so small a cameo.
Details of White Tiger’s case in Daredevil: Born Again
The case against White Tiger in the Daredevil comics is more involved. He was in costume when he happened upon a botched pawn shop robbery. Unfortunately, he was found by the police standing over the body of a dead police officer. To make matters worse, he was holding a television set that had been thrown at him as the real thieves escaped.
In Daredevil: Born Again, White Tiger stands accused of killing a police officer under different circumstances. Here, he was in his civilian clothes when he tried to stop a fight in a subway station. Unfortunately, the assailants were corrupt cops beating an informant and one of them accidentally tripped in front of an oncoming train during the fight. This situation is more natural and less forced than the comic book storyline.
White Tiger’s secret identity in Daredevil: Born Again
Another big change in Daredevil: Born Again is that Matt takes Hector’s case without knowing he’s a vigilante. This becomes a major plot point later when Matt is forced to change his defense after the informant White Tiger saved changes his story. Matt reveals Hector’s secret identity to the world and argues that someone so noble would never kill a police officer. In the Daredevil comics, Hector’s secret identity was already known when he was arrested.
Matt Murdock’s defense in Daredevil: Born Again
Denied his star witness in Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock tries to undermine the prosecution’s case in another way. He calls forth people whom White Tiger saved in the past as character witnesses. He also reads from police reports, quoting officers whom White Tiger assisted. This paints a picture of a concerned citizen, who just happened to wear a costume and magic amulet while working with authorities.
Matt does the same thing in ‘Trial of the Century,’ but with more help from his friends. He calls in superheroes who worked with Hector, including Jessica Jones, as character witnesses. He also brings in Reed Richards and Doctor Strange as experts on superhero psychology and magic artifacts respectively. While this would be thrilling to see these characters in live-action, it is also unlikely with the sheer number of actors required.
Regardless, the comics’ testimony discredits the prosecution’s portrayal of White Tiger as a murderous maniac with telekinetic abilities. This last point was their explanation for how White Tiger could handle a gun without getting powder burns on his costume. The prosecution’s case in Daredevil: Born Again is more credible, with far less circumstantial evidence.
White Tiger’s Ultimate Fate in Daredevil: Born Again
The end of ‘The Hollow of His Hand’ is where Daredevil: Born Again deviates the most from the original story. In the show, Hector Ayala is found innocent, only to later be murdered by someone dressed as The Punisher. In the comics, White Tiger is found guilty and killed by the police while trying to escape custody.
The ending of the Daredevil: Born Again episode is far stronger. Beyond setting up the subplot of crooked cops with Punisher tattoos, it also enhances the tragedy of Hector Ayala’s death. While his death in the comics is also tragic, his suddenly snapping and trying to escape seems incredibly arbitrary and rushed.
Daredevil: Born Again Episodes 1-3 are now streaming on Disney+.
