Hawkeye Set Photos Reveal First Look at Echo in Marvel Cinematic Universe

Filming is underway on Marvel Studios' Hawkeye series for Disney+ and earlier today came news of some brand new additions to the shows cast. Joining star Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton and Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop in the series will be none other than Vera Farmiga as Kate's mother Eleanor; Florence Pugh returning as her Black Widow character Yelena Belova; Fra Fee as Kazi, short for Kazimierz Kazimierczak, Marvel Comics character otherwise known as Clown; Better Call Saul's Tony Dalton as Duquesne, a character whose alter ego in Marvel Comics is Swordsman; and newcomer Alaqua Cox as the Marvel hero Echo with Fargo's Zahn McClarnon playing her father William Lopez.

Murphy's Multiverse has even more set photos and videos from the series, this time featuring a look at Cox in character as Echo and filming a scene with McClarnon. The outlet notes that Cox can be seen "communicating using sign language and rehearsing her scene" with a video showing her "exit a taxi and head towards an apartment" which seemingly features McClarnon as her dad. For those unaware, Echo is a character in peak physical condition and has an ability known as "Photographic Reflexes," the same power that the villain Taskmaster possesses, and has long been a street-level hero in the Marvel U.

Created by David Mack and Joe Quesada in the pages of Daredevil, the rights to Echo in live-action would have seemingly been tied up in Marvel's Netflix deal. After that series was cancelled it came with a stipulation that the characters couldn't appear on the big or small screen under Marvel's direction for two years, and that time appears to have come. Despite her not appearing on screen in the Daredevil TV series, it seems like Echo could have been included in that fine print, but this is just speculation on our part.

Adding Echo to the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to signal the rumors that Hawkeye will be going deaf in the series. Born deaf, Echo would easily be able to offer a hand to the hero in navigating the world as a person that has recently lost their hearing (in the comics it happens after having his ear drums burst on two different occasions, with a similar incident happening when he's a child as well).

Marvel Studios also has a perfect reason for the pair to meet even before Hawkeye potentially loses his hearing, as Echo suited up as the masked hero Ronin for a brief time in Marvel comics. As we know, Hawkeye took on the persona in Avengers: Endgame and will have seemingly retired it by the time the series starts. That inherent clash is an easy narrative reason for them to cross paths.

Hawkeye is currently without a release date, but is expected to hit in 2021, especially if it finishes filming late this year or early next. It will join WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Ms. Marvel, What If...?, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk on the Disney+ streaming platform.