Marvel Introduces Its First TV-MA Series with 'Echo' Trailer

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is just getting bigger and bigger. Not only are there TV shows, but countless new characters are also getting their chance to shine. Enter Maya Lopez, a.k.a. Echo.

A Native American deaf superhero, Echo’s powers consist of mimicking the fighting styles of her opponents. MCU fans were introduced to Echo onscreen as she appeared in Disney+'s Hawkeye series in 2021.

Variety reported in March 2021 that the character would get her own Marvel TV series. After over a two-year wait, we’ll finally get to watch it at the top of 2024. Here’s what to know about Echo, the show and the superhero.

Who is Echo?

Echo, played by Alaqua Cox, made her character debut in Hawkeye, where it was revealed that she’s the mastermind behind Tracksuit Mafia, the criminal organization working under Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) that kidnapped Clint (Jeremy Renner) and Kate (Hailee Steinfeld). In the comics, she was introduced in 1999 as a supporting character for Daredevil.

Now, I know hyping up villains is not our forte (aside from Loki), but Echo's situation is a bit different. She’s not a villain; she’s a hero doing villainous things i.e., finding the man who killed her father (hint: it’s Clint, guys!). In the comics, the pair do reconcile, and Echo forgoes her villainous ways and becomes a part of the Avengers.

When will Echo’s TV show debut?

Echo premieres on January 10, 2024 on both Disney+ and Hulu. All five episodes of the series will be released the same day, in a first for any MCU series. The title will be streaming on Hulu until April 9.

What will the show be about?

The Echo series will be a Hawkeye spinoff that “will see Maya leave New York for her hometown, where she reconnects with her roots and ends up at the center of a new crisis,” Variety previously reported. We're still waiting on more info.

Marvel Studios also teased in a press release that the series “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.”

Is there a trailer?

Marvel shared the official trailer on November 3, giving fans a glimpse of the gritty, bloody action series.

Who else is in the Echo cast?

Cox will be joined by a mostly Indigenous cast, including Chaske Spencer (The Twilight Saga), Tantoo Cardinal (Wind River), Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs), Cody Lightning (Four Sheets to the Wind), Graham Greene (Wind River), and Zahn McClarnon (Westworld, Reservation Dogs). There will also be Indigenous creatives behind the scenes, with directors Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie set to helm the series, per Variety.

Other cast members include Vincent Donofrio as Kingpin and Charlie Cox as Daredevil.

The episodes are directed by Sydney Freeland (Navajo) and Catriona McKenzie (Gunaikurnai). Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Stephen Broussard, Richie Palmer, Marion Dayre, and Jason Gavin were also announced as executive producers. According to Variety, although writers and executive producers Etan Cohen and Emily Cohen were attached to the project, they no longer seem to be involved.

Why is Echo rated TV-MA?

The rating, marking content for mature audiences, points to the more violent content in Echo, a darker, grittier departure from the studio’s streaming originals. The approach is reminiscent of that of earlier Marvel series like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, which were more explicit and also rated TV-MA. (Sure enough, Daredevil’s Charlie Cox and Vincent Donofrio will appear in Echo too.)

“It’s a little on the grittier side for Marvel, and shows the breadth of what Marvel is capable of,” said Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios’ head of streaming, television and animation, told The Hollywood Reporter. “It is sort of a new direction for the brand, especially for Disney+.”

Part of the reason why, director Sydney Freeland said, is that the series focuses on a villain. “People on our show—they bleed. They die. They get killed and there are real world consequences,” Freeland told THR.

This story will be updated.

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