Daredevil was rumored to appear in Echo since before the show even started filming, and the marketing has made no secret of the fact that the Man Without Fear will show up for at least one extended fight scene with Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez.
However, director Sydney Freeland has now confirmed that the Hawkeye spin-off will feature more cameos - and not just from other small-screen MCU projects.
“There are a number of cameos in our series, and fans of the MCU will see characters from other films and shows that they recognize," Freeland tells TV Line. "But at the same time, you don’t have to have done your homework coming into this. People who aren’t familiar with the MCU can still come in and watch this.”
Since he is believed to be a major supporting character in the series, we're going to assume Freeland isn't counting Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio), which means fans can probably expect a few surprises.
Could there be any truth to those rumors of Spider-Man swinging in to help take down Wilson Fisk? That seems like a stretch, but if the Webhead is off the table, who might Freeland be referring to?
Check out a new teaser promo below, and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section.
Echo will be the first project under a new banner known as Marvel Spotlight, which takes its name from an anthology comic book series that debuted back in 1971 and was the origin of beloved Marvel characters like Ghost Rider and Spider-Woman.
“Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case of Echo, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity," said Head of Streaming Brad Winderbaum. "Just like comics fans didn’t need to read Avengers or Fantastic Four to enjoy a Ghost Rider Spotlight comic, our audience doesn’t need to have seen other Marvel series to understand what’s happening in Maya’s story.”
"Marvel Studios presents Echo in which Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) struggles to reconnect with her Native American roots while balancing aspirations tied to a life of crime as successor to the brutal legacy of Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) aka Kingpin," reads the most recent synopsis. "In the first episode, we are introduced to Maya Lopez and her struggles."
In addition to Cox, D'Onofrio and Cox (Charlie), the show will also star Chaske Spencer as Henry, Tantoo Cardinal as Chula, Graham Greene as Skully, Cody Lightning as Cousin Biscuits, Devery Jacobs as Bonnie, and Zahn McClarnon as William Lopez.
The origin story of Echo revisits Maya Lopez (Cox), whose ruthless behaviour in New York City catches up with her in her hometown. She must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward.