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After the season finale of the animated series, What If…? earlier this month, the MCU’s fourth phase will continue on with Disney Plus’ Hawkeye, a six-part miniseries following the master archer after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Hawkeye is shaping up to be an exciting outing for the former Avenger and deliver on some serious holiday fun based on its trailers.
The series, like others before it, will have the task of introducing even more characters from Marvel Comics into the MCU. It would be a shame not to mention the debut of Kate Bishop, Hawkeye’s protegee (played by Hailee Steinfeld) who will no doubt bring a great dynamic to the series — but one character may shift the gears of the entire show, despite only getting a glimpse in the trailer. Along with Bishop and Swordsman, Hawkeye will introduce fans to Maya Lopez, otherwise known as Echo. But who exactly is this superheroine, and what could she mean for Hawkeye and the MCU as a whole?
Echo in the Comics
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Since Echo has never been seen in the MCU, it’s important to start at her comic book origins. First appearing in an issue of Daredevil, Maya Lopez is an Indigenous American of the Cheyenne Nation and was born deaf. Her father, Willie “Crazy Horse” Lincoln was an enforcer for Wilson Fisk, better known as the villain Kingpin. When Lincoln is later killed, Kingpin honors his wishes and raises Maya as his daughter.
Originally thought to have had a learning disability, Maya is put into special education classes. When she is able to replicate a song perfectly on the piano, her genius is revealed and she is moved to a school for prodigies, where she excels in music, art, and dance. She is also an Olympic-level athlete, with her strength similar to the terrifying Black Widow villain, Taskmaster.
Echo’s name comes from her ability to mimic movement thanks to her “photographic reflexes.” She only needs to see her opponents fight once before she can copy every swing and punch. In the comics, she studies both Daredevil’s acrobatic-filled fights and Hawkeye’s marksmanship so she can face off against the two. Her deafness does bring her some major drawbacks, though. As a hero who relies on visual aids and cues, it’s almost impossible for her to win a fight in the dark. Like other heroes, Echo has an iconic look, including a white handprint across her face, a reminder of her father moments before he died.
Maya’s story is primarily told through her appearances in Daredevil, where she meets and falls in love with Matt Murdock as herself. The problem? Echo is actually in charge of taking Daredevil down for Kingpin. When Maya finds out Daredevil’s true identity, she is heartbroken and attempts to kill Kingpin for betraying her trust. Needing a change, Echo unites with the New Avengers under a different alias, this time named Ronin. Ronin uses samurai skills to help the Avengers take down Silver Samurai in Japan.
Echo in Hawkeye and the MCU
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While Echo already has a deep past in the comics, that doesn’t mean everything will stay the same once she is in the MCU. Even though Hawkeye trailers only have had a single shot of Echo, it’s pretty easy to speculate what role she will take on in the series. Played by actress Alaqua Cox — who is Indigenous and deaf like her character — Echo will either be a mysterious ally for Kate Bishop and Clint Barton or another enemy in their way. Also, with Clint already confirmed to be using his Ronin alias, it’s likely that Maya will be sticking to her Echo alias. What remains the biggest question is whether or not Echo’s appearance in the MCU’s fourth phase means good news for Daredevil fans.
Netflix released three seasons of Daredevil between 2015 and 2018. The show garnered good reviews and a cult following but eventually was canceled. Echo’s introduction into the MCU through Hawkeye could mean that a new version of Daredevil — or perhaps the same one portrayed as Charlie Cox in the Netflix series — is bound to appear in Hawkeye or the MCU. If that’s not the case, it leaves the door wide open for potential projects. Because of her relationship with Kingpin, it’s also possible that the mobster might also be finding a way into the series and the larger MCU in general. Regardless of what happens in Hawkeye, it won’t be the last time that fans will get to watch and learn from Echo, as a spin-off series is currently in development at Disney Plus.
Hawkeye begins streaming on November 24, 2021, on Disney Plus.