After revolutionizing the silver screen with its multiple universes, the MCU has taken over the small screens as well. With a range of superhero series hitting the OTT platforms, the MCU is catering to the fans’ demand. The superhero verse’s upcoming miniseries Echo has gathered much attention from the fanatics. The show which is scheduled to release early next year has already been branded as MCU’s most violent work by sources.
Centered around a Native American character, Maya Lopez, and her superhero alias Echo, she first featured in the MCU in the Disney Plus series, Hawkeye in 2021. Given its popularity, Echo was given her very own spinoff miniseries Echo, to be released in 2024. The cast also includes English actor Charlie Cox, known for his work as MCU’s Daredevil, and his TV series based on the same name. As a result, comparisons have come afloat between the two superheroes.
Echo vs. Daredevil
With an 8.6 IMDb rating, the Netflix series is a must-watch for all MCU fans. The storyline revolves around Matt Murdock a.k.a Daredevil played by Charlie Cox. He is a blind lawyer by the day, and a vigilante of New York City by night, taking on the worst of wrong-doers as the Daredevil.
On the other hand, Echo follows the narrative of a ruthless deaf athlete and a gifted fighter in NYC. Starred by Native American actress Alaqua Cox, Echo has already built a reputation for being extra brutal. As per a post on Twitter quoting Empire Magazine,
“A lot of heads get cracked onto a lot of surfaces in Echo. It’s been a shaky year for Marel Studios, but as 2024 kicks off, so too does this ultra-violent revenge drama- on every level. It looks to be the MCU’s freshest- and most certainly bloodiest- bit of work in a long while.”
Echo is being described as an "ultra-violent revenge drama" and being the bloodiest project in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
(via: @empiremagazine) pic.twitter.com/TM0zTcuJ8A
— Daredevil Updates (@DDevilUpdates) November 23, 2023
Having stated the grim setting of the MCU series, it is deriving comparisons with 2015’s Daredevil starred by not Alaqua, but Charlie Cox. Since Echo makes appearances in the Daredevil comic books, as the Kingpin’s adoptive daughter, it is expected that fans might witness Charlie Cox’s cameo in the upcoming series.
Fans anticipate Echo’s dominance
As much as the media, the fans are awaiting Maya Lopez’s story to unfold, as many claimed it was one of the interesting characters from Hawkeye in the comments. While others expected an appearance from Matt Murdock in the series. Some fans hinted that Daredevil: Born Again shall be more gory than Echo.
Here are some of the reactions:
So excited for this show and to see the darker side of the #MCU. Echo was one of the more interesting parts of Hawkeye and so excited to see where her story goes.
— Josh Zeitler (@joshzeitler) November 23, 2023
That is, until Daredevil Born Again comes around, right?
— friendly neighbour (@spiderypiratey) November 23, 2023
They better do my guy Matt Murdok & dial in the old netflex justice we had before
— Rene Lidguerre (@ReneLidguerre) November 23, 2023
I'm very hyped for this. Really hope it is good.
— Marcelo (@mvstheworld) November 23, 2023
Apart from all the buzz about its violent and gritty storyline, the director is also keen on the cultural representation of the lead character and her Native American tribe.
Echo holds cultural significance for Native Americans
Echo director Sydney Freeland, a Navajo filmmaker claimed that accuracy in the representation of Native Americans, specifically, the Choctaw tribe was crucial for Echo. As per Empire Magazine, Freeland noted,
“Representation was extremely important to myself and to everyone on the crew. My production designer had to see it through his eyes. My first AD had to see it through his eyes.”
Maya is portrayed as a Choctaw character on-screen, whereas in the comic books, she is from the Blackfeet tribe. Moreover, Echo strives to explore Maya’s character and her backstory with the Kingpin. Hence, the superhero is set to return as ruthless and brutal as ever. Echo will be released on January 10, 2024, and MCU fans are thrilled.
