Echo: 5 things we need to see from Hawkeye’s exciting new spin-off series

Marvel Studios’ Echo has the potential to be hit on Disney Plus. Here’s how that can happen.

The announcements made during Disney Plus Day kept people glued to Twitter. There were multiple project updates and announcements to get excited about. Among the more popular ones were X-Men ‘97, Moon Knight, and Agatha: House of Harkness. Then there’s Echo. A series that may have flown under the radar. However, it has the potential to be a surprise hit.

Maya Lopez (Echo) isn’t a well known Marvel Comics character. Unless you’re a fan of Daredevil or New Avengers, or Jason Aaron’s Avengers, you may have missed her. This works in Maya’s favor as viewers be introduced to a new and interesting hero – something that already happened in Hawkeye.

But how can this upcoming spin-off follow that? If these five things happen, Echo will be another success for Marvel Studios.

Daredevil

From a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home to a fourth season of his beloved TV series on Disney Plus, there are a lot of rumors these days suggesting the return of Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any confirmation. As much as we’d like it to happen, we’ll have to wait and see.

Nevertheless, Daredevil is an important part of Echo’s life in the comics. While the pair were romantically involved, that’s only part of why he’s crucial to her story. First, they share a bond as both have had to adapt and made it a strength (more on that next).

Maybe the most important part of their story is how it connects Maya Lopez’s father. Wilson Fisk made it appear as if Daredevil shot and killed him. Beyond Daredevil not being a killer, he doesn’t use a gun. Maya didn’t know any of this and this led to a  conflict pivotal to Echo’s growth.

With that in mind, could we see Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin return in Hawkeye or Echo on Disney Plus?

Beautiful story about her powers

Maya Lopez has an ability similar to Taskmaster. If she sees something done, she can do it too. A power she discovered randomly, yes, but it goes deeper than just doing what she sees. Maya looks at the actions of people as if they’re a language.

Maya Lopez was born deaf. Because of this, she started looking at the small details in everything. Learning to read lips early and seeing how people’s faces change with certain situations helped her create a world no one else could experience. One day she went to a piano that was just played. She touched the keys and could still feel the vibrations. She then replayed it perfectly. This is where Maya found out that she could mimic things.

David Mack wrote and illustrated a fantastic story about Maya Lopez in Marvel Comics Daredevil: Echo. The way he explained her abilities highlighted their beauty. Maya didn’t look at the fact that she couldn’t hear as a disadvantage. Instead, she saw it as a strength. And this is a story that would work well on screen, increasing awareness at the same time.

Relationship with Wilson Fisk

Most Marvel Comics heroes have a history with Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk. Echo’s runs deeper than most. First, her father (Willie “Crazy Horse” Lincoln) worked for him. When he died, Fisk became Maya’s legal guardian. After she played the piano, Fisk put her in a school for prodigies. As she got older, he got her into fighting, gymnastics and more. As you can assume, Fisk did this so he could use her later.

We don’t know if Vincent D’Onofrio will return as Wilson Fisk but that doesn’t mean the Kingpin won’t appear in the MCU. If he’s going to return anywhere, it should be in Echo. It would show how deplorable Fisk is. He says he cares about New York and its people, yet he continues to show that he doesn’t care about anyone. Even the people he loves. Always using the excuse that, “It was just business.”

Marvel Comics costume

This is something simple, but it can make a big difference. Being recognized is a huge part of being a comic book character. If you don’t have something that sets you apart from everyone else, you’ll get lost. For Echo, her costume doesn’t stand out. Her feathers and sun on the front pop, but not enough. Now, the hand across her face is something that people will remember, especially when they find out it’s something she related to her father’s death. And that’s the look she needs to bring to the MCU.

When Halloween comes around, you’ll likely see people in all black with their arms wrapped in tape and Echo’s white handprint across their face. It’s a simple way to dress as a character they love. This has to be part of her show and in her future Hawkeye appearances.

Bad @$$

Lastly, we come to the action – a huge part of any Marvel Cinematic Universe project. We’ve talked about her powers, but anyone can know something and not apply it. Echo does both. Throughout her time in Marvel Comics, she’s gone up against the best and held her own. She’s fought Daredevil, Wolverine, and Super Skrulls. She may not have won every battle, but she was more than a challenge to those warriors; she was a threat.

If Echo is going to succeed on Disney Plus, she has to prove her worth. Beating people up in Hawkeye with Clint Barton and Kate Bishop is one thing, but she should be allowed the chance to do it on her own in Echo as well. After everything she’s done in the comics, there’s no doubt she’ll do it in Echo.

Hawkeye releases new episodes on Disney Plus on Wednesdays.

What do you think? What else should be part of Echo? Let us know in the comments below.