Wai Ching Ho passed away at the age of 82 on July 12, 2026, and this news broke the hearts of many Marvel fans. This star from Hong Kong became famous in America because of her appearance in Marvel's Daredevil Season 1, Iron Fist, and The Defenders.The star also voiced Grandma Wu in Pixar's 2022 film, Turning Red. The film has a 95% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Peter Shinkoda, who played Nobu in both Daredevil and The Defenders, shared the news of her death on Instagram and wrote:"I won’t ever forget you. I learned every minute from you when we were together on and off set. I know wisdom - I’d hang on your every word. We will meet again, my friend. You were beautiful."Wai Ching Ho's character in the MCU was a master in the drug business who led an illegal Steel Serpent manufacturing operation. Wilson Fisk approached Gao for help to bring a change to Hell's Kitchen. Fisk also proposed to her a business plan for her heroin distribution.Continue reading more about the story.Who is Madame Gao?In Marvel's Daredevil, Madame Gao is one of the five leading founders of the Hand. She focused on running their heroin business within New York City by utilizing the infrastructure of Rand Enterprises. Harold Meachum was approached by Gao for aid when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.Gao's connection with Rand Enterprise was at risk when Danny Rand returned as Iron Fist. The moment put the MCU villain into conflict with him and a fellow leader of the Hand, Bakuto. Later, Gao continued to help Alexandra Reid to complete the Hand's objective to return to K'un-Lun.In the Daredevil pilot episode, Gao sat atop an empty building with her various associates and waited for Wilson Fisk's arrival. Her conversation with Fisk became popular among the fans.The dialogue:"It is the clever man who plays the fool. And a foolish woman..who does not recognize it."Mahira Kakkar remembers Wai Ching Ho after her death. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostMahira Kakkar praised Wai Ching Ho for being a pillar and a stellar artist. Kakkar performed with her in the National Asian American Theatre Company's Henry VI production. She posted on Instagram, calling her a remarkable person whose presence mattered a lot to co-stars both on and off stage. She was warm, funny, caring, joyful, positive, and an exceptional actress.Kakkar further shared that Wai Ching Ho took the lead role at 82 and wrote:"She played a lead role -basically a female King Lear, and was riveting She would say to us- Eat two slices of raw ginger every day and you won’t get sick! For those of us who did not have a lot of role models and mentors in the industry Wai was a pillar."Kakkar also stated that Wai Ching Ho consistently refused to speak badly about anyone and showed kindness and integrity in every interaction.The Daredevil villain deserves every standing ovation. She was both an outstanding human being and an outstanding artist who left behind a powerful example of how to live with grace and purpose.Follow Soap Central for more updates on Daredevil.