Echoes: Cast, Story Details, and Everything We Know

Disney Plus has begun development on Echo, an MCU spinoff of the Hawkeye series starring Native American martial artist Maya Lopez.

The Echo Disney+ series, a Hawkeye spin-off, will be part of the MCU's Phase 5 plans, and there have been several key developments regarding the little-known Marvel Disney+ Show. Echo, real name Maya Lopez, appeared alongside the titular Avenger in Hawkeye as a sympathetic adversary seeking revenge on Clint Barton for her father's death while also fighting with her criminal adoptive father Kim and struggle. Maya, a deaf Native American woman, offers a whole new kind of character to add to the MCU story. Echo's introduction in Hawkeye serves only as an initial basis for further character development in her spinoffs.

Echo's development is in line with Marvel's approach to exploring lesser-known diverse characters with the Disney+ MCU show. Maya Lopez is a perfect fit for this tonal shift at Marvel, and the premise is good enough to offer a show that explores a whole new perspective through the lens of a superhero, similar to how Ms. Marvel explored Kamala Khan's female Muslim identity in America or the Moon Knight dissects Marc Spector's DID and Jewish roots. Echo will explore Maya's traumatic past, her dark moments as an anti-hero, and her quest for redemption, while also featuring some beloved MCU characters, Like Kingpin and Daredevil. It sets up the Echo Disney+ series as a noteworthy MCU project -- both standalone and character-driven, with implications for the wider MCU.

MCU's Echo: Latest News

Fans looking for the latest news about the Echo Disney+ series may be disappointed by these new developments. The latest update indicates that the show has been significantly delayed. While it was originally slated for a summer 2023 release, Echo producer Marion Dayre suggested it wouldn't come out until 2024. It was previously reported that Marvel wanted to make some major changes to the show. Filming on the Echo is reportedly complete, but the fact that there's still such a long wait suggests some major reorganization.

MCU's Echo Is Confirmed

Confirmed to be developing an Echo Disney series as part of the MCU Phase 5 lineup. This follows the character's introduction in Hawkeye, where the character and Alqua Cox's performance are seen as the series' highlights. In March 2021, it was reported that the series was in development and Cox would return. It was officially announced as part of Disney+ Days in November 2021.

MCU's Echo: Release Date

Details on the exact release date of the Echo Disney+ series Still up in the air, but Disney has announced a 2023 release window. The Echo will begin filming in Atlanta in May 2022, which means that if all goes well, it could arrive on Disney+ in 2023, although 2024 seems more likely. For now, audiences will have to live with the Echo's presence in Hawkeye.

MCU's Echo: Cast

After her debut in Hawkeye, Alaqua Cox's Hollywood success story continues as she will star in her own Echo Disney+ series. Joining the new MCU characters are Devry Jacobs, Tantoo Cardinal, Cody Lightning and Graham Greene. Some of Cox's Hawkeye co-stars will also be in the mix. Zane McLanon will return to play Maya Lopez's father, William Lopez. Hawkeye reveals that William, the criminal who worked for Kim, was killed by the Ronin, so he'll likely only show up in flashbacks.

Another presumed dead character in Hawkeye also returns. After Maya discovers that he was responsible for her father's death, Kim appears to have survived. Maya's connection to the Kingpin will also catch the attention of Matt Murdock aka Daredevil, while Charlie Cox reprises his role after making his MCU debut Spider-Man: Home Now and She-Hulk. This could further pit Daredevil and the Kingpin against each other in the upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again, marking the hero's first solo project in the MCU.

MCU's Echo: Story Details

Story details on the Echo Disney+ series are sparse, but there are some interesting teases of where the show is going. By the end of Hawkeye, Maya learned that Kim was responsible for her father's death, prompting her to attempt to kill the crime boss. It is said that after these events, Maya returned to her home with her native heritage, as her dark past caught up with her, presumably in the form of a vengeful Lord. It is also rumored that the series will include a storyline from the comics in which Kingpin loses his eyesight after being shot. It would be an interesting development for the villain and add to his relationship with Matt Murdock.

Admittedly, Daredevil appears in Echoes in part to help draw viewers, but there will also be narrative payoffs. Daredevil's presence in Maya's story suggests she could help develop Matt Murdock into a mentor-type role for the upcoming MCU hero. After Daredevil was established as a crime fighter in Hell's Kitchen and returned as She-Hulk, he may set up Echo as another important role in Daredevil: Born Again. She's already been seen navigating the criminal world of New York City, and it's easy to see Echo becoming an MCU street hero. She could represent an interesting element at the center of the ongoing conflict between Daredevil and the Kingpin.

MCU's Echo: Showrunner

Etan Cohen and Emily Cohen have reportedly signed on to write and executive produce the Echo Disney+ series (via Variety). Etan Cohen's film credits include Holmes & Watson and Men in Black 3. His wife, Emily Cohen, has the unique ability to assist Echo in growing up as a Native American Jewish woman. In various published comics, she brings these experiences of intersectional identities to life. Shortly after, however, it was confirmed that Marion Dayre (whose credits include Better Call Saul and The Act) would be the showrunner for the MCU series.

Who Is Echo? The MCU's Deaf Superhero Explained

Who is the main character in the Echo Disney+ show? Maya Lopez is a deaf Native American Latino martial artist with photographic reflexes. This special ability means she can perfectly mimic her opponent's Witness the action after them. So what makes her a skilled fighter is her athleticism - she's a dancer, Olympic-level athlete, and sharpshooter, arguably the best choice for a master Black Widow villain impersonator in combat. However, because her "powers" are superhuman rather than supernatural abilities, Echo can defeat her by harnessing the darkness. She can't reproduce what she can't see, so when her vision is blocked, she's at a disadvantage.

Maya Lopez was revealed to be the original Ronin in Marvel Comics, shocking readers who speculated that "Master of None" was actually Daredevil. She appears in both the Daredevil and New Avengers comics, and her connection to Hawkeye stems from their respective (albeit very different) iterations of the Ronin character. The Hawkeye Ronin in the MCU first appeared in Avengers: Endgame. Given the passing of the torch that took place, it's possible the two could end up going further in the Marvel Echo show than in Hawkeye.