Echo First Reactions Tease Marvel's 'Gritty' And 'Mature' Return To TV
2023 has been a bit of a mixed bag for Marvel Studios. There were definitely some high points, like "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" and "Loki" Season 2, but the studio had some noteworthy misfires, including "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and "Secret Invasion." The once infallible entertainment powerhouse needs to right the ship, and it sounds like the next Marvel offering — "Echo" — will do just that.
The entire "Echo" season will debut on Disney+ and Hulu simultaneously on January 10, 2024, but a lucky few have already seen some of the new series. And they're singing its praises on social media. The consensus appears to be that the series is a return to form for grittier superhero fare, with Tom Percival of The Digital Fix writing on X, "I think fans of Netflix's Daredevil are going to love it. It's like Marvel remembered it can be violent and dark. Alaqua Cox is amazing! Although I don't love all the creative decisions though." There's no word on what those creative decisions are, but overall, it's solid praise.
Alaqua Cox, who plays Maya Lopez, aka Echo, gets to shine with so much emphasis placed on her backstory. As podcaster Tyrell Charles puts it, "A grounded, character-driven story with hints of bigger things to come. The strong focus on Maya's indigenous heritage & personal history intrigues me; and while some quiet moments slow the pacing; when the action scenes come, they are indeed brutal." By the sound of it, "Echo" may be the change-up the Marvel Cinematic Universe has desperately needed all year.
Echo's lower stakes make for a more personal story, according to those who have seen it
As expected, it also sounds like "Echo" will be a deviation from the Multiverse-threatening stakes that have dominated most recent Marvel projects. Don't expect any random portals to open up, as "Echo" will keep things grounded by the sound of it. Paul Klein of FILMHOUNDS Magazine thinks "Echo" is just what Marvel fans have been asking for. "If the world-ending stakes of the MCU have you longing for something more grounded #Echo is the gritty tonic," Klein wrote. "Two episodes seen and it's a hard-hitting action thriller with a great sense of Native American culture. [Can't] wait to see the final three when they drop in Jan."
Emily Murray of GamesRadar mentioned how viewers won't have to wait long to get some of those glorious action set pieces: "Enjoyed the first two episodes of #ECHO which had an incredible (and violent) fight scene I want to watch again and again." All of these reactions are a good sign that "Echo" is going to be something special. Alaqua Cox gets a chance to shine after being introduced in "Hawkeye," and she's going to have a stellar supporting cast filled out with Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Matt Murdoch (Charlie Cox). And while recent Marvel Disney+ offerings have been light on bloodshed, "Echo" seems like it'll up the ante.
2024 will see a more mature side of the MCU with both "Echo" and "Deadpool 3." If they do well, it could convince the studio to pursue more R-rated projects with greater gusto. It's an auspicious start for "Echo," and fans can make up their own minds when all five episodes drop on January 10.