I just binged the new MCU Disney Plus series Echo. This is my spoiler review. So I’m going to talk freely about the series. So if you haven’t seen it yet, maybe watch it and come back and we can talk about it.
Echo, was a spinoff of the Hawkeye Series, following character Maya Lopez, played by Alaqua Cox. It features some great guest appearances from Vincent D’Onofrio as The Kingpin. We pick up right where we left her in the Hawkeye season, and the events of that series led her back home, where we explore her roots.
The Good
This show was just a little bit more serious than what we’re used to getting from the MCU, Disney Plus stuff. It’s kind of a break from the quickness. The MCU tie ins were great here. I think a lot of us might have reacted poorly to the Kingpin in the Hawkeye series or even the yellow Daredevil in She-Hulk. I feel like this series course-corrected them both, especially with Kingpin. Here he was the violent, brutal crime boss that we all know and love.
Some of my favorite scenes in the series are the ones where we get to see Vincent D’Onofrio back in action. His kingpin is truly one of the best villains in the MCU. In the end scene with him showing interest in that mayor race or even becoming mayor. Could be some really cool set up for the upcoming Daredevil series.
We only got a little bit of Daredevil, but I thought that scene with him was really cool. They kind of tried to recreate those one take hallway scenes that we’re used to seeing with Daredevil. We were all blown away by them in the Netflix series here. The fight choreography is really cool. And I think they got really close to hitting that goal. I feel like they hit the right balance of MCU, tie ins and new stuff here.
I think Maya is a really cool character and I hope we get to see more of her after this. And it was really cool that they added more context to what happened in her appearance and Hawkeye. I like the focus on her Native American heritage and mythology, and I know that the filmmakers here work really closely with the Choctaw people in Oklahoma, and that was a win.
The Bad
One thing I didn’t care for too much was the change in locale from the city to a more suburban setting. I understood why they did it, but I think the season would have been just a little bit more interesting if they had kept that city as a backdrop. I think they move things to give the series its own identity and to give more of a focus to the Indigenous people and their mythology, which are all great things to want to do. But I still enjoy the city just a little bit more.
I also wasn’t a big fan of the supernatural elements of the season. When it started out, it was kind of grounded and I was liking it. But by the time they gave her powers, they just really weren’t that interesting or well defined. If I had to tell you what she actually has the power to do, I’m not sure I’d be that successful. I know she has the ability to get her ancestors involved in things and to maybe pass her powers to others. Her fist glowed. But other than that, I’m not sure what she could do.
I was a little annoyed with the amount of times that Maya threatened to kill the kingpin without actually doing it. It kind of made the ending a little anticlimactic. All she did was touch his forehead and mess with his head a little bit and send him on his way. I think they kind of did a little bit more than that.
The Verdict
So this was a serviceable entry in the Mcu’s Disney Plus offerings. I’d watch it just for the Kingpin appearances. The new Marvel Spotlight banner is interesting too. I feel like this series held true to that goal of making it not something that you needed prior MCU knowledge to enjoy. With all that said, it’s kind of middle-of-the-pack compared to other MCU, Disney Plus series.
