Warning: this article contains full spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Episode 3! If you havent already, be sure to check out IGNs review of Episode 3.Daredevil: Born Again is sure delivering some riveting superhero television, even if Charlie Coxs Matt Murdock seems absolutely determined not to put the red armor back on. Episode 3 serves as a tense, high-stakes legal drama, as Matt defends his client Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes) in court against charges of murdering an NYPD officer. That story takes a tragic turn in the end, as Hector is exonerated and freed only to be gunned down by a vigilante wearing the Punisher skull. That twist ending raises a hugely important question. Was that actually Jon Bernthals Frank Castle who killed Hector? What does it mean if The Punisher has suddenly started targeting costumed vigilantes? And where does the White Tiger storyline go from here? Lets explore the big questions lingering after Episode 3s dramatic cliffhanger.Daredevil: Born AgainDid The Punisher Kill White Tiger?In Episode 3, Hector Ayala is put on trial for supposedly murdering an undercover police officer. While the truth is that Hector was simply trying to be a good samaritan in a situation gone horribly awry, Matt Murdock faces a steep uphill battle in convincing a jury of Hectors innocence. Only by taking a big swing and outing Hectors role as White Tiger does Matt manage to turn the tide in Hectors favor.Unfortunately, that act proves to be Hectors undoing. Hector makes it clear he has no intention of giving up his nightly vigilante activities, despite the large target the trial has painted on his back. No sooner does Hector resume patrolling the streets than hes gunned down, executioner-style, by a rogue figure wearing a bulletproof vest adorned with the iconic Punisher skull.Again, the question here is whether that was actually Frank Castle who pulled the trigger. To date, Frank has mostly shied away from the superhuman side of the MCU, preferring to target ordinary criminals and corrupt officials. Targeting costumed vigilantes would definitely serve as a major shift in Franks methods and motivations. Thats not to say that Punisher has never directed his wrath at costumed villains in the comics. Matt Fractions Punisher: War Journal is one notable example of a series where Frank grows fed up with the damage caused by the supervillains of the Marvel Universe and directs his wrath at men like Hate-Monger and Kraven the Hunter. But this explanation would require that Frank views White Tiger as a villain who evaded justice. Does The Punisher see White Tiger as a cop killer? Did Hector cross an unforgivable line in Franks eyes?Historically, Marvel has never been that consistent when it comes to depicting Frank Castles opinion of the police. When it comes to military service members, its a different story. Frank holds a clear, fierce respect for those who risk their lives to serve their country like he did. Captain America - the ultimate soldier - is the one superhero Frank reveres. But as for the police, things vary from one interpretation of the character to another. In the classic Marvel Universe, Frank normally goes out of his way to avoid targeting cops, even crooked cops. But in the Ultimate Universe, Punisher is an ex-cop himself who specifically targets corrupt officers. Based on Franks previous appearances in Daredevil: Season 2 and The Punisher spinoff series, it doesnt seem as though Bernthals Frank Castle holds any special affection or respect for the police. Certainly, its hard to imagine him switching up his methods to specifically target a vigilante acquitted of killing a cop. Franks beef with men like Daredevil and White Tiger has always been that they dont go far enough in their methods. So it seems hard to believe that Frank is the one who shot Hector in Episode 3. Instead, theres another, much more likely possibility.PlayIs This Punisher a Copycat Killer?Frankly (no pun intended), theres a reason we dont see the killers face at the end of Episode 3. The series wants us to question whether Frank Castle would stoop to killing White Tiger, but the truth is that this most likely isnt Frank. Its probably a copycat killer.The series has already established that The Punisher has developed a bit of a fan following among members of the NYPD. Weve seen multiple cops sporting tattoos of the Punisher skull, including Brian D. Cohens Detective Flynn. These cops seem to idolize Frank and the way he takes the law into his own hands, meting out a very lethal form of justice to criminals in New York. Clearly, theyd like nothing more than to follow in his footsteps. And based on how Episode 3 ends, it would seem one of these cops has done just that.Its clear the series is diving headlong into addressing real-world controversies surrounding the Punisher character. The Punisher skull has indeed been appropriated by some police officers and military members who fetishize Frank Castles ruthless brand of vigilante justice. The connection was arguably cemented by the late Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, who was known for adorning his equipment with the Punisher emblem and even nicknaming his unit "The Punishers." In recent years, the Punisher emblem has also been adopted by the Blue Lives Matter movement. Marvel Comics has addressed this phenomenon in the past. 2019s The Punisher #13 features a scene where an injured Frank Castle is approached by two NYPD officers who reveal themselves to be rabid fans. To their surprise, Frank reacts with disgust, telling them, "We're not the same. You took an oath to uphold the law. I gave all that up a long time ago. You don't do what I do. Nobody does."Art by Szymon Kudranski. (Image Credit: Marvel)With Born Again, Marvel seems to be addressing the Punisher skull controversy on a wider, more visible scale. We know Bernthal will be reprising his role in the series, and theres no reason to believe the characters reaction to the idea of NYPD officers co-opting his image and mission will be any different than the comic book version. Its entirely possible that Frank pushing back against this fanatical obsession with The Punisher will form the basis of the recently announced Punisher Disney+ special.There is a Frank Castle storyline that is, I think, deep and rich and has been begging to be told, showrunner Dario Scardapane told IGN in a recent roundtable interview. It was in one of the comics, but Frank's appearance is not random. It comes back to [the] question of who is a vigilante, who's good, who's bad, and Frank is one of those incredibly galvanizing characters. And Frank comes into our world with a purpose. That purpose is executed. Does it have something to do with these men that we see in [Nicky Torres] apartment? Yes. Its always possible that Episode 4 will reveal Frank did indeed kill Hector, fueling a renewed conflict between Frank and Matt. But at this stage, it seems much more likely that New York City has a growing Punisher problem. Certain members of the police idolize The Punisher, and thats something Frank is going to have to confront. Will White Tigers Story Continue in the MCU? But what of White Tiger and the Ayala family? Is this the end of a relatively new addition to the MCUs lineup of New York-based heroes? Probably not.With the White Tiger storyline, Born Again is drawing a fair bit of inspiration from Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleevs Daredevil comics. Similar to the show, the comics depict Hector as a vigilante wrongfully accused of murder. In this case, Hector is shot dead by the police while trying to flee, only for evidence to surface proving his innocence.Following Hectors death, his Jade Tiger amulets are passed down to his niece, FBI agent Angela Del Toro. She reluctantly becomes the new White Tiger and is trained by Daredevil himself. Later, the amulets and mantle pass on to Hectors teenage sister, Ava. Ava Ayala inherits the White Tiger mantle. Art by Valerio Schiti. (Image Credit: Marvel)While the series focus in Episode 3 is on Hector and his beleaguered wife, Soledad (Ashley Marie Ortiz), we learn the couple was staying with Hectors sister and her daughter, Angela. Its easy to picture a scenario where Angela inherits her uncles amulet and continues his mission of protecting the innocent civilians of the Bronx. Angela may be a mash-up of the Angela Del Toro and Ava Ayala characters from the comics.If that happens, we imagine Matt Murdock will have a vested interest in protecting and mentoring the new White Tiger. He failed to protect Hector. His decision to out Hectors White Tiger identity may have contributed in some way to the vigilantes death. Matt Murdock is nothing if not a man driven by guilt, and we suspect hes not done atoning for his failure with Hector.What about you? Do you think Frank Castle killed the White Tiger, or is this the work of a copycat killer? Vote in our poll and let us know what you think in the comments below.For more on Daredevil: Born Again, see the cast and crew break down Episode 1s tragic twist and brush up on every Marvel movie and series in development.Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket byfollowing @jschedeen on BlueSky.