Echo

Following on from their introduction in Hawkeye, Marvel’s latest TV offering Echo continues to explore the titular character’s (played by Alaqua Cox) battle with their past and conflicted morality. By the end of Hawkeye, Echo (real name Maya Lopez) had shot Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) after learning that he was the one at the root of her suffering. Some months later, she returns to her childhood home in Oklahoma where she intends to seize power for herself. However, her plans go awry after finding out that Kingpin survived. Meanwhile, reconnecting with estranged family members alongside experiencing strange visions further complicates matters.

Like the character she plays, Lopez is a deaf amputee in real life. Despite communicating primarily through sign language, the actor gives an outstanding performance in the central role, conveying nuanced and complex emotions with facial expressions and body language alone. Likewise, Maya’s Choctaw heritage plays a huge role in shaping the series’ identity. Not only is Choctaw folklore central to the show’s main themes surrounding family and ancestry, but indigenous iconography and music are also prevalent throughout the show.

Despite Cox’s incredible talent, it’s D’Onofrio who stands out as being the best part of the show. Like his previous stints as the towering crime boss, his presence is equal parts charismatic and frightening. With the violence amped up much more than what’s expected from a Marvel outing, Fisk’s ferocity shines through like it never could in Hawkeye. However, the grittiness never quite reaches the heights of Netflix’s Daredevil series. Although the show still falls into the traditional Marvel affair, with highly produced action scenes and comic relief coming thick and fast in each episode, the punchier violence, more grounded narrative and Native American identity are enough to offer a refreshing spin on the studio’s go-to formula.

Consisting of only five episodes, which makes Echo the shortest MCU show to stream to date, there’s not enough time to properly flesh out everything the script wants to include. By sidelining plot points and characters initially established as vital, while rushing through key moments of character development, Echo feels like a brief footnote than an exhilarating comic book outing.  Although its more mature edge sets it apart from other MCU entries, Echo’s much-too-short lifespan is ultimately what stops this series from reaching its full potential.

Andrew Murray

Echo is released on Disney+ on 9^th January 2024.

Watch the trailer for Echo here: