Marvel Studios has shared a new teaser for Echo, and it would appear to confirm once and for all that the events of Netflix's Daredevil series (along with the other "DefenderVerse" shows, presumably) will indeed be canon in the MCU.
The "Kingpin Returns" promo includes footage and dialogue from the first season of Daredevil, as black-and-white flashbacks revisit the harrowing origin of Wilson Fisk.
We see the young Kingpin-to-be just after he killed his abusive father with a hammer, along with some shots of the Man Without Fear as he pledges to take down the mob boss. We also get a new glimpse of Daredevil in action right at the end.
Echo EP Brad Winderbaum recently suggested that the Netflix shows would be canon on "the Sacred Timeline," but this appears to be a clear indication that Marvel Studios will be doing more than simply cherry-picking certain plotlines and characters to utilize in the Disney+ projects.
Check out the promo in the player below.
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.
All five episodes of Echo will be available to stream on Disney+ from January 9.