Marvel's new generation of heroes has gotten more than a little crowded. Some old hands are still around, but the franchise is preparing to launch several new teams alongside The Avengers. The Avengers had two de facto leaders, Captain America and Iron Man. Their influence pushed Earth's Mightiest Heroes, sometimes in opposing directions. With Echo, Marvel could have a new, unexpected central character. She won't lead the new team, but she could lead the franchise by example.
After messes like Secret Invasion, Marvel announced its intention to change how it makes TV shows. They're calling for an end to the miniseries and a return to multi-season shows. They're bringing back showrunners instead of the vague network of creators and producers. These choices imply a return to the glory days of the Netflix Defenders universe, complete with Daredevil: Born Again resurrecting its favorite hero. Echo and its newly unveiled Marvel Spotlight banner seem to follow that trend.
Echo's delays made the project seem troubled
Marvel announced Echo in 2021, shortly after Alaqua Cox made her MCU debut as Maya Lopez in Hawkeye. The show was part of the studio's first Disney+ Day. Shortly after, delays and behind-the-scenes trouble plagued the production. Here's a brief timeline of those release date pushbacks:
- At the 2022 Comic-Con, Marvel announced a Summer 2023 release date for Echo.
- In December 2022, head writer Marion Dayre stated the show would take another year on Ben Blacker's Writer's Panel podcast.
- Marvel confirmed her assertion, announcing a November 29, 2023 release date for Echo.
- Marvel pushed forward their 2023 TV slate, setting Echo to premiere in January 2024.
- Jeff Sneider of Above the Lineclaimed the first season of Echo was planned to consist of eight episodes but was edited down to five after Kevin Feige found them "unreleasable." The article featuring that quote has been taken down, leaving it questionable.
Echo endured three delays despite a shooting schedule that wrapped in August 2022. There have been no reports of reshoots, except for Sneider's conjecture, which has again been removed. A major show sitting in the barrel for that long implies some strange things. The eventual release of the first trailer changed the conversation around Echo.
The Echo trailer made a big impact
The tone of Echo's trailer is striking. It opens with Vincent D'Onofrio's beloved portrayal of Wilson Fisk savagely beating a man to death in front of a child. A few bloody deaths feel ripped right out of a John Wick sequel. It would be hard to show someone the trailer without context and convince them they were looking at a Marvel show. The final tag includes the phrase, "Set your Disney+ profile to TV-MA to stream." That could be passed off as a genuine explanation of their strange user interface and child-friendly settings, but it feels more like bragging. The sentence should almost end with, "If you can handle it."
Most who talk about Echo mention how different it is from Marvel's usual fare. It doesn't feel like Secret Invasion or Loki. It does feel exactly like Daredevil. Marvel is positioning Echo as a bridge between the current standard of Disney+ shows and the new Netflix revival they're entering. Charlie Cox's Daredevil will join D'Onofrio's Kingpin in the series. They've explicitly said that Echo will set up the events of Daredevil: Born Again. The instinct will be to make Matt Murdock the centerpiece of this new era. He's the hero fans have demanded for years. His No Way Home appearance came with an applause break. Echo offers another solution.
Echo's success could mean more diverse Marvel content
Creator | Marion Dayre |
|---|---|
Directors | Sydney Freeland |
Cast | Alaqua Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Chaske Spencer |
Episodes | 5 |
Release Date | January 10, 2024 |
Echo centers the perspective of Maya Lopez, a deaf Native American woman from a Choctaw family. To that end, Alaqua Cox is the franchise's first deaf and Native American star. The series will be directed by Sydney Freeland, a Navajo filmmaker who took over for Hawkeye directors Bert & Bertie. After the central cast of white men, accented by the occasional lady or person of color, the new Marvel main characters come from more diverse backgrounds. Echo can be the apotheosis of that concept and the guiding light for a small army of future examples.
Echo could be a temporary phase for the MCU. It could be intended and executed as a transitionary element to move the franchise from one period to the next. The consistent delays, the rumored re-edit, and its focus on older characters suggest that possibility. The impact of the trailer could change that course. The potential might of the miniseries could be a turning point for Marvel. Echo doesn't have to be a recurring character. Tying her in with the larger multiverse shenanigans might weaken her. She should be a landmark in the franchise, giving rise to a run of smart, personal stories about diverse and unique characters. Echo's impact should reverberate across the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
