Marvel's Echo Reveals A Shock Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Return - But Didn't They Die?
After being introduced on "Hawkeye," Maya Lopez, aka Echo (Alaqua Cox), will receive her very own spin-off. The new "Echo" trailer promises plenty of gritty action as well as some surprise appearances from already-established Marvel characters. Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) has a prominent role, and even Daredevil (Charlie Cox) shows up in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. But one actor fans probably weren't expecting to see is Andrew Howard, who played Luther Banks on six episodes of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Howard appears in Season 3 of the Marvel series, ultimately dying at the hands of R. Giyera (Mark Dacascos). Although "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is pretty much built on the predication that no one can really die in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as evidenced by Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) leading the cast, it would be odd to bring a relatively minor character back in this way. We don't know exactly who Howard is playing on "Echo," but it's a safe bet he's portraying somebody else altogether.
Howard's involvement should be news to most, as his casting on "Echo" wasn't revealed prior to the trailer. At this time, he isn't even credited on the show's IMDb page.
Andrew Howard joins an esteemed club of actors to play multiple roles in Marvel projects
It's likely that most casual Marvel fans won't realize Andrew Howard has two roles in the larger Marvel world. His role on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." was fairly limited, and that show never really impacted the larger franchise. However, the actor has now joined an elite group of performers who have multiple Marvel credits to their names.
Some of these serve a kind of dramatic purpose, such as Benedict Cumberbatch playing Dormammu at the end of "Doctor Strange" in addition to his portrayal of the titular character. Cumberbatch playing the villain serves as the symbolism of Doctor Strange confronting his own dark side. On the other hand, there are examples like Gemma Chan, who played Minn-Erva in "Captain Marvel" but was promptly killed. Chan would return for the unrelated (and more substantial) role of Sersi in "Eternals."
Howard getting a role on "Echo" likely isn't what most Marvel fans thought of when imagining how "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." could impact the larger MCU. Rumors have circled for years that Chloe Bennet could return as Quake in some capacity, with the most popular being that she would emerge on "Secret Invasion." That didn't pan out, but it's at least good to know some "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." actors are still on Marvel's radar.