Despite the fact Hawkeye received widespread acclaim from fans and critics, there are those who have long questioned the necessity of Maya Lopez being granted her own spin-off series with Echo.
The first trailer for the TV-MA show changed a lot of minds, though, and not just because Daredevil and The Kingpin will have roles to play in this story. The darker, somewhat more violent tone, was welcomed; however, it still feels like that sneak peek barely scratched the surface of what's to come, especially as Maya is going to gain Phoenix-like superpowers during the course of the five-episode series.
Today, a new look at Echo has been released courtesy of a still from the latest issue of Empire Magazine. Maya has left New York City and appears to be heading home, though what she'll find there remains to be seen. What we do know is that when all is said and done, the MCU will likely have a powerful new hero.
"The story dictated our approach," director Sydney Freeland recently explained. "Coming off Hawkeye, Maya is a villain, so tonally, we wanted to lean into that. I love the Netflix Daredevil. It’s great."
"We also very adamantly wanted to show that these people in our show bleed, they die, they get killed, and there are real consequences. It’s not the fate of the universe at stake because once you go that broad, you can lose sight a little bit. And so, that dictated the tone."
Take a closer look at this newly released still from Echo in the Tweet/X below.
The five-episode streaming event spotlights Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) as she is pursued by Wilson Fisk's (Vincent D'Onofrio) criminal empire. When the journey brings her home, she must confront her own family and legacy.
Echo also stars Chaske Spencer (Wild Indian, The English), Graham Greene (1883, Goliath), Tantoo Cardinal (Killers of the Flower Moon, Stumptown), Devery Jacobs (FX's Reservation Dogs, American Gods), Zahn McClarnon (Dark Winds, FX's Reservation Dogs), Cody Lightning (Hey, Viktor!, Four Sheets to the Wind) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Hawkeye, Godfather of Harlem).
The series is directed by Sydney Freeland (Navajo) and Catriona McKenzie (Gunaikurnai).
All five episodes of Echo will premiere on Disney+ and Hulu on January 10.