Marvel Studios' Phase 4 slate has been jam-packed, and while that initially looked like good news for fans, the quality of storytelling has definitely been more hit-and-miss than normal.
Some movies haven't lived up to expectations, while a number of Disney+ TV shows have highlighted the studio's inexperience in that realm. Whether it's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's mixed bag of VFX or the way Ms. Marvel sagged in the middle, it feels like Kevin Feige may have irons in one too many fires.
Phase 5 looks set to be every bit as busy, of course, and a new rumour points to Echo being in trouble.
The Cosmic Circus' Lizzie Hill (who has proven herself a very reliable source for scoops) recently took to Twitter to say, "I've been hearing things lately, from previously reliable sources, that make me very very concerned about Echo."
"Previous Marvel [productions] have been reported to have problems but have come out ok, so I generally don't get that concerned, but...I am concerned. Hoping I'm wrong to be."
While Hill didn't elaborate too much beyond that, she'd later add, "Some clarification, tho[ugh] I still can't be too specific [right now], sorry, but my understanding is the issues I'm hearing about (and others) with Echo are with the production itself. Not the character, actress, or even the Daredevil/Kingpin stuff."
An issue with production could be any number of things, and these comments come just weeks after we first heard rumblings online about Echo potentially being delayed from its current Summer 2023 premiere. Marvel Studios is unlikely to make any official comments about this, of course, though we do hope more details will be revealed soon.
While Alaqua Cox did a phenomenal job as Maya Lopez in Hawkeye, it's always been a little hard to understand why the character needs her own Disney+ series. While the MCU is a great way to boost Disney+ subscriber numbers, it's beginning to feel like more Special Presentations would be a better idea instead of stretching these stories out over six weeks at a time.
Stay tuned for updates on Echo.