Marvel’s upcoming streaming series, Echo, represents a new type of project for the studio. Not only is it the first TV-MA project, but it’s also the first to roll out under the new Marvel Spotlight banner. According to the studios, Marvel Spotlight projects will bring “more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen” that “focus on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity.” Essentially, while the projects may involve familiar MCU characters (indeed Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk has a prominent role in Echo and Charlie Cox’s Daredevil does appear), the stories told within them are self-contained. “Viewers don’t have to watch any other Marvel series to understand the plot,” which means everything needed to completely enjoy Echo will be seen in Echo. And according to director Sydney Freeland, that means a heavy dose of lead character Maya Lopez’s past.
During a global press event before the premiere of Echo, Freeland talked about the unique opportunity to further explore Lopez, who debuted in the 2021 streaming series Hawkeye. “One of the most interesting aspects about the character,” began Freeland, “is the fact that she’s a villain in Hawkeye, right? But then within that, once you start, sort of, pulling in that thread, then you look at where she comes from, right? And you look at, “Oh, this is a deaf, indigenous amputee girl from Oklahoma,” said the director. “‘How the hell does she end up being one of the top-ranking lieutenants in Kingpin’s army?’ And answering those questions was such an exciting place to be.”
For Maya, following the events of the Hawkeye season finale, that means finding her way back to Oklahoma to a family she hasn’t seen in years. And as is traditional wisdom, once you leave, you can’t go home again. “Well, what is that like when she goes back home? You know?,” asked Freeland. “And I think for, you know, just for myself and you know, being indigenous, being an American, it was such a fun and exciting place to be. And then once you layer on the Choctaw cultural specifics onto that, it gave us a chance to tell a really fun story, you know? I think one example of that is actually in the second episode of our series.“
As the show’s promotional footage has revealed, Maya’s troubles with Kingin will follow her home. Freeland seems to indicate that the series will explore the path Maya took from Oklahoma to NYC. It’ll be interesting to see what connections to the Kingpin took her away from home and what the consequences will be when she returns.
All 5 episodes of Echo will stream on Hulu and Disney Plus beginning at 9 PM EST on January 9th.
