While Alaqua Cox did a phenomenal job as Maya Lopez in Hawkeye, it's always been a little hard to figure out why the character needs her own Disney+ series. While the MCU has helped boost Disney+ subscriber numbers, it's beginning to feel like more Special Presentations would be a better idea instead of stretching these stories out for six weeks at a time.
Recently, we learned - directly from Head Writer Marion Dayre - that Echo has been pushed back to next winter, with those comments coming almost immediately after reports of issues behind the scenes.
Murphy's Multiverse has now chimed in, revealing that they've heard the series is being eyed for an "early 2024" premiere. While it would be easy to assume Echo has slipped down the release calendar because of those rumoured problems, it's just as likely Marvel Studios has decided it would make more sense for it to release closer to Daredevil: Born Again.
There's already been some chatter online about Marvel Studios delaying or scrapping a number of upcoming projects in order to get back to a quality-over-quantity approach to storytelling. While we don't anticipate Echo being among the latter (it has been shot), we can't help but wonder whether it's being reshaped, possibly as a Special Presentation or a much shorter TV series.
During Phase 4, 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 so taking the time to get Echo right is no bad thing.
It could be a while before we learn about concrete premiere plans for the Hawkeye spin-off, but with Vincent D'Onofrio set to return as The Kingpin, it looks likely to be a pivotal chapter in the wider MCU mythos heading into Daredevil: Born Again.
Keep checking back here for updates on Echo as we have them.
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