The entertainment behemoth's first release of 2024 is Echo, a spin-off of Hawkeye. Centered on the titular Echo (Alaqua Cox), the series comes to Disney+ and Hulu on Jan.9.
Echo was released in its entirety simultaneously on Disney+ and Hulu on January 9, 2024, consisting of five episodes. It is Marvel Studios' first television release to debut on Hulu and to receive a TV-MA rating. It is part of Phase Five of the MCU and the first series under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner.
Disney+ is delivering, offering fans a second season of their hit show Echo. 2021's Hawkeye introduced anti-hero Maya Lopez, played by the dynamic Alaqua Cox.
Thankfully, 2021's Hawkeye has made good on its promise of returning characters. Not only did we see Kate Bishop (Played by Hailee Steinfeld, the assumed protege of Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye) return in The Marvels post-credits, but we now have adversary turned anti-hero Echo in her own spin-off show as well.
Under the new banner, Echo can focus on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity—i.e., viewers don't need to watch other Marvel series to understand the plot. “Echo was always about leaning into authenticity to tell a more human story,” Freeland says.
COMPLETE Jiyan Guide | Best Build, Weapons, Echoes & Teams | Wuthering Waves
Why did Echo flop?
Despite its attention to certain details, Echo failed to focus on other details that would have improved viewer experience and continuity. For one thing, all you have to do is watch one fight scene in Daredevil and compare it to the first episode of Echo to see that fight choreography has taken a turn for the worse.
All told, Echo is fine. I enjoyed the first three episodes well enough, even if it's a bit slow for a show that's only five episodes long. All five episodes drop tonight, which also feels like a bad decision, not giving the series enough time to build up any hype.
Well, hi Hawkeye! Echo viewers might be surprised to see the Avenger make an appearance in the show – sort of. Jeremy Renner appears as part of the cast of episode 1 of Marvel's new show as Clint Barton's past conversation with Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) is revisited.
Despite the Marvel Spotlight banner, Echo is a spinoff of Hawkeye, as the new series follows Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) as she flees New York City after shooting Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio), who is also set to return. (Fisk may have gotten shot in the face during the Hawkeye finale, but don't worry, he seems fine!)
But in Echo, we were promised a big fight scene with Daredevil and potentially a larger role in the story. Instead, and I timed it, we have 98 seconds of Daredevil screen time. His only appearance is that fight scene. Previous rumors said the fight was supposed to be seven minutes long.
If there is an Echo season 2, it might be a while before it actually comes out. Echo was first announced in November 2021, right after Cox showed up as Echo in Hawkeye. With the show only getting released some two years later, the earliest we're likely to see Echo season 2 would be 2026.
Unlike other Marvel shows, which consist of six episodes, Echo is just five episodes long. Also unlike Marvel's recent small-screen titles, Echo released all of its five episodes at once. It marks the studio's first television release to debut on Hulu simultaneously, as well as its first to receive a TV-MA rating.
Marvel's latest superhero series, Echo, is now streaming on Disney+. Deaf actress Alaqua Cox plays the eponymous superhero, a character she already portrayed in the Hawkeye series in 2021.
Now, both Daredevil and Kingpin appear in Echo. All these cameos have made Echo and the rest of the MCU's recent slate of television feel less an extension of its movie empire than a constant reminder of an old Netflix show.
(**) In the comics, she's called Echo because she has the ability to literally copy the movements and actions of any non-superhuman. Had the MCU version stuck with this, she could fight as well as Shang-Chi, shoot arrows as well as both Hawkeyes, etc.
Maya Lopez is a deaf member of the Choctaw tribe who moved out of her hometown as a child with her father William Lopez, and became the protegée of Wilson Fisk, growing up under his care. Losing her father due to Ronin's hunt for criminals, Lopez became the Tracksuit Mafia's commander, vowing revenge on Ronin.
Reflecting on his near-fatal snow plow accident over a year after the incident, Jeremy Renner said he will be “strong enough” to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Maya Lopez has been described as Marvel's first deaf and indigenous superhero. She is the first deaf, indigenous, and amputee character portrayed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Her own miniseries Echo became the first Marvel television show centered on a deaf Native American superhero.
However, because the film is touted as an Avengers team-up, there will likely be appearances from Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) and Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), among others.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe's latest Disney+ series, Echo, has its fair share of highs and lows but ultimately disappointed many fans in its execution.
And just to answer the question above: no, Kingpin does not die. In a post-credit scene, New York's own Pat Kiernan tees Wilson up for the idea that — presumably in Daredevil: Born Again — he should run for Mayor of New York.
Echo Season 1 paves the way for Luke Cage to return as Harlem's Kingpin. A Luke Cage Revival can have him in conflict with white politicians, corrupt lawmakers and even the Defenders.
