Marvel's Echo Release Date, Cast, Plot, Trailer And More Details
The Disney+ "Hawkeye" series was the perfect holiday treat, bringing Christmas cheer and some spectacular gifts, such as Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop, Cosmo the Pizza Dog, and the return of Wilson Fisk. However, one of the most impressive highlights of the MCU series was Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez. A key figure in the Tracksuit Mafia, Maya (aka Echo) started off as a criminal hoping to avenge her father's death and murder Clint Barton. But after learning what really happened to her dad, she eventually got justice during a big Christmas Eve battle against Kingpin and his cronies.
While Clint Barton's story might have come to an end in "Hawkeye," Maya's story is just beginning. The street-level superhero is returning for her own spinoff, "Echo." The third live-action Disney+ series of Phase 5, "Echo" promises to take the MCU in completely new directions while bringing back some truly iconic Marvel characters. If you want to know what's in store for Maya Lopez and her quest for a new life after the events of "Hawkeye," read on for everything you need to know about "Echo."
When will Echo be released?
Ever since "WandaVision" first premiered in early 2021, Marvel has followed the same exact formula for its Disney+ shows. Instead of releasing every episode at once — like Netflix does — they've been going the "Mandalorian" route, releasing one episode per week. However, that's going to change with "Echo," which will be using the binge model.
Yep, all five episodes will be available to stream on the same day. In fact, "Echo" will hit Disney+ and Hulu at the same time. But when will we get to see Maya Lopez back in action? Well, "Echo" was originally meant to premiere on November 29, but with Marvel wanting to make sure their products were in tip-top shape — coupled with the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes — the studio reshuffled its TV schedule. After temporarily getting a release date of January 10, 2024, now all five episodes of "Echo" will premiere on Tuesday, January 9.
What is the plot of Echo?
During "Hawkeye," we see Maya Lopez declare war on Wilson Fisk, the infamous crime lord and Maya's adoptive uncle. The so-called Kingpin was responsible for her dad's demise, leading Maya to put a bullet in the big man.
So where will the "Echo" series pick up? We know Maya will leave New York City and head back to her hometown to reconnect with her family and Native American heritage. Speaking with Collider, Marvel producer Stephen Broussard delved a bit deeper into the show's tone, saying, "It's a very different tonal sort of thing ... It feels very grounded, it feels very spiritual in ways that feel fresh for us." He also spoke about the setting of the series, explaining, "What's unique about this property is that it's much more grounded, and it's in rural Oklahoma, which is where it takes place."
Seeing a Marvel superhero in the rural U.S. should be interesting, and we also know the series will focus on events in Maya's childhood. Plus we'll see the effects of her relationship with the Kingpin play out across the series. At an October 2023 press event, director and executive producer Sydney Freeland said the show will be "an exploration of trauma — how we deal with it, how we cope with it, how it affects us, how we affect it, how it affects those around us." Driving home the personal stakes, Freeland went on to say, "It's not the fate of the universe at stake. This is the fate of family."
Who is starring in Echo?
Any discussion about the cast of "Echo" has to begin with the titular hero herself. Alaqua Cox is reprising her role as Maya Lopez in the spinoff series, and what's wildly impressive is that "Hawkeye" was Cox's first-ever acting role. She also has the distinction of being the first Native American hero and the second deaf superhero in the MCU.
Of course, Cox won't be the only "Hawkeye" character coming back. Vincent D'Onofrio will be returning as Maya's "uncle" — the murderous Wilson Fisk of "Daredevil" fame. We can also expect the return of Zahn McClarnon, who played Maya's loving father. They'll be joined by another character who's instantly recognizable to Marvel fans: Charlie Cox is returning to the MCU as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, after reprising the part in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "She-Hulk."
Rounding out the cast, "Echo" is shining the spotlight on some serious Indigenous talent. We've got Graham Greene of "Dances With Wolves," Chaske Spencer of the "Twilight" movies, Tantoo Cardinal from "Killers of the Flower Moon," Devery Jacobs of "Reservation Dogs," and Cody Lightning of "Four Sheets to the Wind." Rumors have suggested that we might also see a plotline involving Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), but that remains speculation for now.
Who is writing and directing Echo?
When it comes to behind-the-scenes talent, "Echo" boasts some pretty impressive filmmakers. While they might not be household names, they're all creatives with some seriously impressive resumes.
Serving as head writer, we've got Marion Dayre, who's worked on high-profile series like "The Act," "Shantaram," and "Better Call Saul." On the directing side of things, the episodes will be helmed by Indigenous directors Sydney Freeland (pictured) and Catriona McKenzie. McKenzie has worked on TV series such as "The Walking Dead," "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," and "Riverdale," whereas Freeland has directed episodes of "Reservation Dogs," "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," and "Rutherford Falls."
These creatives are taking "Echo" in important new directions, such as switching Maya Lopez from a member of the Cheyenne tribe to a member of the Choctaw tribe. Along with that, they're diving deep into Choctaw culture, striving to make a series that's as accurate as possible. Freeland even met with members of the Choctaw tribe to get their thoughts on the series. We also know that they're switching up Maya's powers, with Freeland saying at that same October 2023 press event, "Her power in the comic books is that she can copy anything, any movement, any whatever. It's kind of lame. I will say, that is not her power. I'll just kind of leave it at that."
Is there a trailer for Echo?
The last several months have been pretty important for Indigenous representation in Hollywood, with "Reservation Dogs" ending its award-winning run in September 2023 and "Killers of the Flower Moon" shining a spotlight on the genocide of the Osage people. Now, the trailer for "Echo" promises a deep exploration of the Choctaw tribe, with realistic ceremonies, dress, and history.
The trailer also promises Marvel's bloodiest offering to date, with Wilson Fisk beating people to a pulp and Maya Lopez murdering more than a few foes. There's a current of anger running underneath the trailer, with the Kingpin telling Maya, "You have so much pain in you, so much rage that you can't contain it. You and I are the same. So who's the monster?" In addition to all the bloody action, eagle-eyed fans will catch a quick glimpse of Daredevil, and we're hoping the Man Without Fear and Echo will team up in an epic battle against Wilson Fisk.
What will Echo be rated?
For the longest time, Marvel has stayed away from getting too edgy in the MCU. Their movies are all PG-13, and their TV shows are all family-friendly. However, in recent years, the MCU has been pushing the boundaries a bit. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" dropped the MCU's first F-bomb, Marvel brass has promised that "Deadpool 3" will be rated R, and now "Echo" will be the first MCU TV show with a TV-MA rating.
Based on the bloody trailer, it isn't hard to see why. Speaking about this gritty new tone at the October 2023 press event, director and executive producer Sydney Freeland said, "People on our show — they bleed. They die. They get killed and there are real-world consequences." In other words, it looks like "Echo" will be following in the footsteps of Neflix's "Daredevil," as opposed to the Disney+ show "Hawkeye."
How will Echo tie into the MCU?
By this point we've all gotten used to the fact that MCU projects all tie into each other. Every installment, whether it be on the big screen or Disney+, contributes to the larger whole and helps push the overall saga along even as it tells its own story. The "Hawkeye" series first introduced Echo and set her up for her own series, and the big question now is how "Echo" will feed back into the ongoing saga of the MCU.
As it turns out, "Echo" might somewhat break from the Marvel tradition and tell a story that's much more self-contained than we've all grown accustomed to. Marvel Studios is launching a new initiative called Marvel Spotlight that will highlight stories that don't ask viewers to be perfectly caught up with all the MCU lore. "Echo" will be the first show branded as part of Marvel Spotlight, which should mean that even people who are relatively new to the MCU should be able to watch the show without being lost.
The MCU, like the Marvel comics that came before it, has gotten a little weighed down by its own interconnected lore. Back in the early 1970s, Marvel Comics also dealt with this issue by creating a "Marvel Spotlight" series that focused on telling standalone stories. The MCU is really just catching up to Marvel's past here.
Where does Echo fit in the Marvel timeline?
"Echo" may be under the new Marvel Spotlight banner, but the show is still part of the MCU. That means even though you don't need to watch every other piece of Marvel content to follow what's happening in the show, "Echo" still has a place in the overall MCU timeline. The entire MCU timeline has gotten a bit harder to follow in recent years, but luckily it's not hard to find where "Echo" fits in it, which might be exactly why Marvel picked "Echo" to be the first Marvel Spotlight show.
Echo was first introduced in "Hawkeye" as a skilled leader and brutal fighter. She had a bit of a vendetta against Clint Barton because of his actions as Ronin, but the two of them settled their differences, and now Echo's own show will pick up sometime shortly after the events of "Hawkeye." That means "Echo" takes place well after The Blip and is happening at more or less the same time as other Phase 5 MCU shows and movies. Since "Echo" is supposed to be more self-contained than other Marvel stories, you probably won't hear all the much about The Blip, and you definitely won't need to know what the other in-universe heroes like Captain Marvel are up to.
Who's creating the Echo soundtrack?
Music has a big role to play in any show, but it's going to be especially important for "Echo." The show's score needs to help introduce a whole new side to a character that we've already met and give us a deeper understanding of a hero who's likely going to have an ongoing future in the MCU. Other Marvel projects, both inside and outside of the MCU, have made a splash with their soundtracks in the past, and a strong one could really help "Echo" make a big splash.
The series' score is in good hands. "Echo" landed one of the most talented young composers in the business. 25-year-old Mato Wayuhi is best known for his work on the Hulu series "Reservation Dogs," but he's also worked on feature-length films like "War Pony," and he's released a number of his own albums. Wayuhi will be bringing that experience to his work on "Echo," and he'll also be bringing his own perspective as a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe in South Dakota. Echo herself is Native American, and the show will explore her relationship to her family and her Native identity. Because of that, Wayuhi might be the perfect person to have been tapped as composer for the series.
What to watch before Echo
The point of the new Marvel Spotlight banner is to create MCU content that's more welcoming to newcomers than the mainline shows and movies. But if you're really excited to dive into "Echo," you might want to spend some time catching up on the bits of MCU history that are most likely to tie into the show.
If you watch "Hawkeye," you'll get to see Echo's very first MCU appearance and get some deeper insight into what she was doing just before the start of her own series. But if you're a real Marvel completist, you might want to catch up with some of the other characters who are going to appear in "Echo." The first trailer for the show made it clear that Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin, is going to have a fairly large role to play. He was first introduced in the Netflix "Daredevil" series, so watching that will get you up to speed on his history and help you prepare for the inevitable appearance of Charlie Cox as Daredevil in "Echo."
"Hawkeye," which is basically a direct prequel to "Echo," is available to stream on Disney+. The old Netflix "Daredevil" show has also made its way to Disney+, but if you really want you can purchase that show on Google Play, iTunes, or even Amazon. As far as streaming is concerned, though, Disney+ is your one-stop shop for everything that's related to "Echo," so you can binge the full backstory before you binge the brand new series.
Will Echo follow the comic storyline?
Plenty of fans first met Echo when "Hawkeye" aired in 2021, but comic book fans have known her for more than two decades. Echo was first introduced in "Daredevil" Vol. 2, #9, and her first appearance had some similarities to her role in "Hawkeye." As in the series, Echo was initially introduced as an antagonist chasing down our hero. She squared off against Daredevil because she mistakenly believed that he was the man who'd killed her father. Eventually Echo learned that she'd been manipulated by Kingpin, and she went on to join the New Avengers and get caught up in all sorts of Marvel shenanigans like "World War Hulk" and "Secret Invasion."
The MCU version of Echo has already deviated from the comic book canon pretty significantly. It already seems safe to say that "Echo" won't be an adaptation of any particular story from the comics, though it might draw some inspiration from Echo's earlier Marvel history. Echo's family has always been an integral part of the character, as has her relationship with Wilson Fisk. In the comics Fisk killed Echo's father himself, but it's too early to tell if that particular traumatic event will work its way into the new Disney+ show.
What role will Daredevil play in the story?
It seems that almost anywhere the Kingpin goes, Daredevil is sure to follow. The hero actually didn't appear in "Hawkeye," but now thanks to "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "She-Hulk," we know that he's officially in the MCU. He's set to come back once again for "Echo," which means we could see him coming face to face with the Kingpin for the first time since the Netflix "Daredevil" series ended.
There aren't any solid details about Daredevil's presence in "Echo" just yet. For all we know, he could have next to nothing to do with the plot, but assuming the show is taking some cues from the comics, he could be a central part of Echo's story. In the comics the two fought each other multiple times before Echo realized that the Kingpin had manipulated her, which led to her paying him back by blinding him with a gunshot.
That part of the story already played out in "Hawkeye," but the next part of Echo's relationship with Daredevil could still happen. After putting their fighting days behind them in the comics, the two actually fell in love. Their relationship on the page has always been fraught with tension — romance is never easy for superheroes — but they've always been able to rely on each other in times of need. Maybe we'll get to see a new take on that romantic relationship in "Echo."
What role will Echo's family play in the story?
For as long as Echo has been a Marvel character, her family has played a big role in her life. In both the comics and the MCU, her father's death provided Echo with her initial motivation and helped kick off her story. The upcoming series is going to take an even deeper look at Echo's past while exploring the history of her entire family.
In an interview with Marvel.com, "Echo" executive producer Sydney Freeland talked about the two major story strands that will run through the entire series. On one hand the series will explore the depths of Echo's ancestral past, and along the way it will work in some mystical and larger-than-life elements that will feel right at home in a superhero story.
On the other hand, Freeland also said, "We're going to delve further into the drama of this family and how they've all dealt with [situations] over the past 20 years." The present-day portion of the show will feel much more like a family drama than any other MCU project we've gotten in the past. Expect to spend plenty of time getting to know the individual members of Echo's family as the show goes on.
What does Echo mean for the MCU's future?
As a Marvel Spotlight story, "Echo" is going to feel like a standalone project that isn't intricately tied into the rest of the MCU. Partially because of that, the series actually has the potential to have a huge impact on the future of the MCU as a whole. "Echo" is going to set fan expectations for what a Marvel Spotlight story is, and if the show is successful, you can expect to see many more Spotlight stories in the future.
At the same time, "Echo" is going to introduce a new tone to the MCU. The show is rated TV-MA, and the brutally bloody first trailer gave us just a taste of the darker direction "Echo" is pursuing with that rating. This could be the set-up for many more adult-themed MCU projects to come. "Deadpool 3" is going to be the first R-rated movie in the MCU, and in some ways "Echo" will be preparing MCU fans for a world where not every Marvel movie is as family-friendly as we've come to expect.