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The first teaser for the Disney+ series Echo, starring Alaqua Cox, was released by Marvel Studios on Friday, November 3. When the eponymous character debuted in Hawkeye, it was implied that he had a history with Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. On January 10, 2024, fans will learn more about this relationship, and that too in one sitting. This is because all the show's episodes will be released concurrently on Hulu and Disney+ on that date.
This series will become the first from Marvel Studios to receive a TV-MA rating. Given that series like Daredevil and others are still in the works, it's possible that Marvel is experimenting with the series' adult rating.
The five-episode show's synopsis described it as a "streaming event." Additionally, the program is set to follow Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) as she flees Wilson Fisk's (Vincent D'Onofrio) criminal enterprise. Fans will also see her returning home, where she will have to face her own family and heritage.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.
Daredevil’s appearance, Kingpin’s hold, and more takeaways from Marvel's Echo
1) Kingpin will be a recurring character
Because she is deaf, little Maya is depicted in the teaser as having difficulty communicating with an ice cream vendor. It was a major error for the merchant to treat her so rudely since Maya's "Uncle," Kingpin, was observing the exchange from the sidelines. The teaser foreshadows Kingpin's impact on the former and how he will possibly influence her in the series.
The revelation of the lengthy past between Maya and Kingpin — that is, the fact that Wilson Fisk became her adopted father — was one of the most important aspects of Hawkeye season 1. Although that series just touched the surface, the Echo teaser centers the MCU conflict around her and Kingpin.
The video further offers a glimpse of Wilson following his near-death experience in the Hawkeye season 1 finale, when Echo shot him in the eye, in addition to the flashbacks of her early years as Kingpin became increasingly involved in her life.
2) Echo will still be a villain in the new series
Echo made her MCU debut as one of Hawkeye's primary adversaries. This character felt that Jeremy Renner's Ronin had slain her father, and she set out to get revenge.
Maya later found out that her father's murder had been arranged by Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, a close family friend. She shot him, then seemingly abandoned him. Sydney Freeland, the director and executive producer of Echo, revealed to Comicbook that Maya plays a villain. She said:
"We wanted something that, again, if you're coming off of Hawkeye, and you have to keep in mind she's a villain. She's a villain. And so tonally, we wanted to lean into that. I think in talking with the executives and our approach, and when building visual style, it was sort of like, 'Oh yeah, lean into that, lean into that."
3) The Black Knife Cartel might make an appearance
Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Cody Lightning, Graham Greene, and Zahn McClarnon are among the notable cast members of the show. Andrew Howard is said to be portraying a significant villain who can be seen in the trailer for Echo.
Rumor has it that he'll be portraying Teodor Zarco, the head of the Black Knife Cartel. This information was discovered via Courtland Fuller's IMDb profile, where he identifies himself as the actor's stunt double for the first episode of this show.
In the Marvel comics, Black Knife Cartel is a criminal group commanded by the vicious and sadistic drug lord Teodor Zarco that supplies all other such organizations in its region. Every member of the cartel got the "X" symbol tattooed on their foreheads, with the exception of Teodor Zarco.
Although Howard's role has not yet been officially revealed, the teaser leads fans to believe he will be a recurrent character. Teodor Zarco's cruel tendencies would provide nuance to the tale, making him the ideal nemesis for Echo.
4) The show will be a new take on the character
In the comics, Maya is well-known for having photographic reflexes. Echo, like Taskmaster, can precisely mimic an individual's actions and combat style after witnessing them fight once. This gives her the ability to instantly employ a range of martial arts and weapon proficiencies. However, producer Sydney Freeland, in an interview with Variety, says:
“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.”
What powers Echo will possess in the show is unknown as of now; the trailer doesn't offer anything overly obvious in this regard. So, it's doubtful that she'll be shapeshifting or doing something like that. A possibility could be she will have powers similar to Daredevil's in the show. A SONAR or a sound-based ability could work, given her name.
5) The devil of Hell’s Kitchen is back
Even though The Kingpin gets most of the attention in the trailer, Daredevil also makes a blink-and-you-'ll-miss-it cameo, presumably in his Netflix series outfit. In Marvel comics, Echo and Daredevil have a history not yet seen in a live-action adaption, but it seems like the show wants to change that.
In the teaser for it, the latter character appears to be jumping over some containers in a warehouse. He can be seen wearing what looks to be a red Daredevil costume rather than the yellow-and-gold one The Man without Fear donned in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
The trailer for Echo only shows us that much of Daredevil. It doesn't say anything more about how significant a role he will play in the overall story. Comparably, neither Cox nor Marvel Studios have made any statements on how many episodes or what role the star will feature in the show when it debuts.
In addition, Echo differs from Marvel Studios in that it is centered around an Indigenous deaf character who uses ASL for communication. For showrunner Freeland and her group, it was crucial that both were represented.
Freeland, who was raised on a Navajo reserve in New Mexico, sent her department heads to Oklahoma to attend the Choctaw Pow Wow annually in order to get inspiration.
Marvel fans may expect action scenes like John Wick and a much-needed adult perspective that the MCU has been lacking when Echo premieres on Hulu and Disney + on January 10, 2024.
