Marvel’s Upcoming Echo Series to Give Maya Lopez Brand New Abilities That’s Scarily Similar to Daredevil’s Deadliest Nemesis

Marvel’s deaf Native American warrior Echo from Cheyenne will arrive with superpowers in Marvel’s upcoming titular series, Echo. The character made its comical debut in  Daredevil #9 (December 1999), created by writer David Mack and artist Joe Quesada, where she used her abilities for vengeance in Hell’s Kitchen. Later, she became a member of the New Avengers as Ronin in The New Avengers #11 (Nov. 2005).  Alaqua Cox, who plays Echo, aka Maya Lopez, made her debut appearance in the Hawkeye series released in 2021.  In the comics and the Hawkeye show, Echo joins the MCU with no otherworldly abilities, rather using her photographic reflexes and exceptional fighting skills.

The Deaf superhero and the blind connection with Daredevil

As in the comics, Echo’s father was murdered by Kingpin, a criminal lord who decided to raise young Echo as his adopted daughter.  Kingpin plotted for her to turn against Daredevil, claiming he was responsible for her father’s death.  After realizing that she was cleverly manipulated by Kingpin , Lopez decided to sought revenge on Kingpin leaving him blind.  Later she leaves New York ending her relationship with Matt Murdock.  Despite of their complicated past, both of them become friends and allies, often working together to take on some of the Marvel Universe’s most vicious force.

Similar to Daredevil, a blind superhero from Marvel who can compensate for missing senses with his excellent hearing and smell, Echo is deaf like Taskmaster, but she uses her photographic reflexes and mimicking abilities to battle.

Also Read: “They ended up reshooting it”: Upcoming Marvel Series Echo Rumored to Have Undergone Extensive Reshoots as it is So Bad it’s “Unreleasable

Echo is expected to release as the spinoff of Hawkeye

In the Hawkeye series, Echo is the leader of a  New York-based crime organization named the Tracksuit Mafia. The series takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. It follows Clint Barton, a founding member of The Avengers, who adopted the persona of Ronin and began a deadly quest for vengeance, ravaging the criminal underworld in his grief over losing his family to Thanos’ snap. One such crime organization is the Tracksuit Mafia, led by Maya Lopez and Clown, who appears to be her second-in-command. The series also introduces Kate Bishop, an up-and-coming superhero who’s inspired by Hawkeye.

According to President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, the Echo series will be a direct spinoff of the Hawkeye series   “He said that Maya Lopez, aka Echo, will go from the end of the “Hawkeye” series into the “Echo” series”.   He said the series would primarily explore the stories of vengeance and the backstories she had with Kingpin and Daredevil.

Also Read: Marvel Changes Echo’s Powers for the Show – Maya Lopez Now Draws Superhuman Strength from Her Choctaw Ancestral Tattoos

Echo: The First MCU Series to Release All Episodes at Once

The series is set to premiere on Disney+Hotstar on November 29. The interesting fact is that Echo will be the first series in the MCU to release all episodes at once, the first television series to premiere under a binge model.

According to the statement of  Executive Producer Stephen Broussard, the upcoming Echo series is going to be very grounded and spiritual in ways that offer a fresh perspective.  Alaqua Cox as the lead is incredibly compelling and the show will be more realistic and relatable, with a focus on character development and emotional depth.  The show will explore lot of themes which will make it stand out from other superhero shows, he added.

” Alaqua as the lead is incredibly compelling. I’m sort of hard-pressed to think of something that feels like it’s outside the broader realm of the MCU, let alone within what we’ve done here. So stay tuned for some cool stuff”.

Also Read: Marvel Reportedly Developing a Young Avengers Movie Likely to be Released Even Before ‘Secret Wars’

Source: CBR.com