Marvel made an interesting decision recently, announcing the introduction of its new Spotlight banner, which will be home to new projects that don’t necessarily require a wealth of MCU knowledge for fans to enjoy. Marvel’s Echo is the first project taking place under this banner, which seems odd because the character was previously introduced in Marvel’s Hawkeye. However, regardless of how Marvel tries to market the new series, fans were still looking forward to seeing more of a character who is one of the most interesting and exciting in Marvel Comics.
Marvel’s Echo follows Maya Lopez as she is pursued by Wilson Fisk’s criminal empire. When the journey brings her home, she must confront her own family and legacy. The gritty, grounded, five-episode series is a self-contained story that follows Maya’s pursuit of power and revenge. But at the heart of the action-packed series is a burgeoning antihero with roots in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Echo gets off to a bit of a messy start. With the series following a character who has previously been introduced but fitting into the new Spotlight banner, it feels as though a nearly 15 minute recap was shoehorned into the first episode. Sure, there is plenty of new content blended in as well, but there are several minutes of scenes that were lifted directly from Hawkeye. It feels as though this was a decision that was made retroactively after it was announced to be the first Spotlight project.
Once you get past the long recap though and the show really gets rolling, it’s pretty great. Even if you’re not interested in the character or the story, this show can lean on its incredible action sequences. There are at least a couple of fight scenes that are some of the best the MCU has to offer and that’s a very high bar to clear. Between the choreography and the creativity, Marvel fans will be impressed with the action.
The show also leans on a strong cast. Alaqua Cox is once again phenomenal as Maya and has quickly entered that territory where it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone else portraying this character. Of course, Vincent D’Onofrio is once again fantastic as the Kingpin, thankfully bringing that menacing villain back to the MCU. A surprise standout is Cody Lightning, who provides most, if not all of the comic relief for the series.
And while this show primarily focuses on newer or completely original characters, it sprinkles in just enough to keep the Marvel fans happy. Obviously the return of the Kingpin is exciting but we also know Daredevil has a role to play in this series. Make no mistake, this is Maya’s show, but the door is open for some other familiar faces to walk through occasionally.
Another interesting element of this show is its TV-MA rating. Marvel’s Netflix series were (mostly) successful thanks to the gritty and grounded take they delivered on some of our favorite characters. With many of those characters returning to the MCU, fans were curious if Marvel would be willing to push the envelope for content that would end up on Disney+. The answer to that would be: kind of. Echo certainly doesn’t get as graphic or violent as some of those Netflix series, but it does have it’s moments that tell you it’s also not the typical MCU project.
Overall, Echo feels a tad clumsy at times as it was likely crammed into this Spotlight banner box after it was mostly completed. However, it overcomes that thanks to some great performances and some truly incredible action sequences. I just hope the Spotlight banner doesn’t mean this is the last time we see Maya Lopez in the MCU.
All five episodes of Marvel’s Echo are now streaming on both Disney+ and Hulu.