Earlier today, Marvel Studios released the first trailer and poster for Echo. Even fans who previously had little to no interest in the Disney+ series are suddenly looking forward to it, something news of a TV-MA rating appears to have helped with.
Ahead of Daredevil: Born Again's launch in 2024/2025, it appears Marvel Studios is embracing a darker, more adult tone for at least some of its TV shows. Talking to press at a recent screening, director Sydney Freeland confirmed Netflix's Daredevil served as inspiration for Echo's tone.
"The story dictated our approach," she said. "Coming off Hawkeye, Maya is a villain, so tonally, we wanted to lean into that. I don’t know if I can say this, but 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."
This grounded approach means we're getting a story that's smaller in scale than many of the other MCU TV shows. However, all signs point to Maya Lopez getting a major upgrade by the time all is said and done. "Her power in the comic books is that she can copy anything, any movement, any whatever. It’s kind of lame," Freeland shares. "I will say, that is not her power. I’ll just kind of leave it at that."
While Daredevil is glimpsed in the trailer, we see a great deal more of Wilson Fisk, a character who looks set to be key in this story both as part of Maya's past and present. "[His role is] very large," the director teases. "One of the core relationships in the entire series is the relationship between Kingpin and Maya. You’ll come to find out that he becomes a surrogate father to her."
Check out these new stills from Echo 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.