Echo Review: One of Marvel’s Strongest Disney+ Shows Since WandaVision

No matter what you think regarding Marvel Studios’ release output over the past two years, the company is objectively at its most divisive point. Between the critical bombs like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Secret Invasion, plus commercial misfires like The Marvels, the studio is far from its days of universally acclaimed comic book cinema. At the height of that divisiveness comes Echo, a five-episode limited series that found itself released all at once, a sign to some that the series might fall into the same rut as the aforementioned releases. Luckily for fans of Maya Lopez, that couldn’t be further from the truth—Echo is the strongest Disney+ release from the Kevin Feige-led outfit in quite some time.

Echo is a first for Marvel Studios on many fronts. It’s the studio’s first TV-MA release, proving the production house is willing to release films and shows that don’t have mass audience appeal. It’s also the first series from the group that’s being released all at once, compared to the outfit’s previous weekly release model. The cherry on top is the fact it’s available on both Disney+ and Hulu, signaling Marvel Studios’ willingness to release projects on more than just Disney+. That’s not to forget Echo also happens to be the first project released as a part of the studio’s Marvel Spotlight label, stories not connected to the larger MCU. On every front, the model works exceptionally well.

While the series largely takes place in the most recent days of the MCU, the first episode is a timeline-spanning story that includes Maya’s upbringing as a child, through the events of Hawkeye, to the character’s decisions immediately following her decisions to shoot Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) in the finale of the Jeremy Renner-starring show. The editing included in the show’s first episode guarantees everyone tuning in will understand what’s going on without having watched a second of any other MCU property. Not only does that help welcome newcomers to the franchise, but it’s a nice little treat for long-time MCU haulers who don’t care to watch an entire series or two to catch up with a new release.

Once the Hawkeye stuff is all sorted, Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) finds herself back home in the town of Tamaha, Oklahoma. Even though it’s far from New York City, Kingpin has his presence felt through some of his business investments in town—and that’s largely a recurring theme throughout the first season of this show. While the iconic Daredevil villain has been prominently featured in the show’s marketing, the show unmistakably belongs to its eponymous vigilante. Echo, make no mistake about it, is the lead character of this show. Even then, Kingpin’s presence effectively serves as the pulse of the series as his presence is felt in each and every one of Lopez’s moves and decisions.

Even when appearing opposite a monstrous presence in D’Onofrio—there’s a single shot at the end of the third episode that cements Kingpin as an MCU-best—Alaqua Cox demands attention through her performance. The actor’s feather-light resume results in a raw performance that matches up perfectly with the character and her story. A little rough around the edges—similar to some unnecessary visual effects decisions for a street-level show—Cox’s performance is worthy of applause as she becomes one with the character in just three short episodes.

Tonally, the show finds its place amongst the now-canon slate of DefendersVerse titles. It’s darker, broodier, and bloodier than anything Marvel Studios has released before. Think of it as Daredevil or The Punisher with a bigger budget and the ability to do the silly comic book stuff Marvel Television refused to do with its offerings on Netflix nearly a decade ago. It’s a story of small proportions with no connections to the larger MCU, and it’s so much better for it. The microscopic scale allows a thorough investigation of Maya Lopez’s psyche and relationships, and the character-driven story that results is one of the best things Marvel Studios has created in the past few years.

Echo isn’t Kingpin’s show, nor is it Daredevil’s, so don’t go into this thinking it will be Daredevil Season 3.5. This show belongs to Maya Lopez and Alaqua Cox, and both of them are newfound superstars. It’s a Marvel show disguised as a television drama, with just enough action set pieces to remind you it’s a piece of comic book cinema. With everything Marvel Studios has gone through since the days of Avengers: Endgame, Echo is just what the doctor ordered: a character-driven examination of the MCU’s latest star. If this show is any indication of what fans can expect from future Marvel Spotlight releases, Marvel Studios is in tip-top shape.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

All five episodes of Marvel’s Echo are now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.