First Trailer for Marvel’s ‘Echo’

Marvel’s ‘Echo’ Promises a Darker, Grittier and more Violent Direction for the ‘Hawkeye’ Spin-Off

Starring Alaqua Cox as Maya “Echo” Lopez, the new trailer announces the show’s launch on both Disney+ and Hulu in January.

Preview:

The new trailer for ‘Echo’ has landed.
It continues the story of the vengeful Maya Lopez from ‘Hawkeye’.
The show will launch in one batch on both Disney+ and Hulu.

Looking to put reports of production issues behind it, Disney and Marvel have released the first trailer for ‘Echo’, the series that spins off the Maya Lopez character (played by Alaqua Cox) from 2021’s ‘Hawkeye’.

And from the looks of this initial footage, the tone for the show will be quite distinct from its parent series or, indeed the rest of Marvel’s Disney+ output to date. There is violence almost from the get-go, including Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) putting the hurt on an ice cream seller who dismisses a young Maya because he doesn’t understand that she’s deaf.

And the differences don’t end there –– the series will debut on both Disney+ and Hulu, with a TV-MA age restriction (the trailer makes it clear that D+ uses will have to tweak their age settings if they’ve been using it in family mode) and all five episodes will be available at once, as opposed to the company’s previous policy of weekly releases.

What’s the story of ‘Echo’?

Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez in Marvel Studios' 'Echo,' releasing on Hulu and Disney+.

Following the events in the ‘Hawkeye’ finale (where Maya shot Wilson Fisk in the face), we catch up to the main character as she is pursued by his criminal empire.

When the journey brings her home, she must confront her own family and legacy.

Who appears in ‘Echo’?

Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin in Marvel Studios' 'Echo,' releasing on Hulu and Disney+.

Alongside Cox and D’Onofrio, the cast includes Chaske Spencer, Graham Greene, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Zahn McClarnon, Cody Lightning and, as the trailer hints, at least a cameo from Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil.

'Echo’s tone: the creators speak

‘Echo’ comes from director/showrunner Sydney Freeland and is partly overseen by Marvel’s head of streaming, television and animation Brad Winderbaum.

Here’s what Winderbaum told The Hollywood Reporter about the show’s feel:

“It’s a little on the grittier side for Marvel and shows the breadth of what Marvel is capable of. It is sort of a new direction for the brand, especially for Disney+.”

And here’s Freedland on the impact of the series:

“People on our show — they bleed. They die. They get killed and there are real world consequences.”

The trailer certainly gives that impression, and the show itself looks to be even more of a departure than we all thought. Perhaps this (along with the tone of the Netflix) shows is informing what Marvel wants to do with ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ (which recently brought a new creative team aboard).

This is also the first show to feature a deaf Native American as its title character, albeit one who has special powers. Just don’t expect the comic book version.

As Freedland tells Variety:

“Her power in the comic books is that she can copy anything, any movement, any whatever. It’s kind of lame. I will say, that is not her power. I’ll just kind of leave it at that.”