Marvel’s Echo Directly References Netflix’s Daredevil Show

As promised in the weeks leading up to Echo, the series eventually directly references the events of Netflix’s Daredevil series. Though it stops short of using archival footage or anything of that nature, Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) does happen to reference one of his actions in the critically acclaimed series. Light spoilers up ahead for Echo! Proceed with caution if you haven’t seen all five episodes of the Marvel Studios show.

In the closing moments of Echo Episode Four, the eponymous vigilante (Alaqua Cox) approached Kingpin in his suite at a local hotel. After a tense standoff, Kingpin reveals he’s kept the hammer he murdered his father with. The first season of Daredevil shows the the murder of Bill Fisk in gruesome detail, with Wilson grabbing a hammer off a nearby table at home to bludgeon his father wife after he beat his wife, Wilson’s mother Marlene.

Interestingly enough—and this may err on the side of conspiracy—but the hammer Kingpin displays in Echo is a ball-peen hammer, while the one he murders his father with on-screen in Daredevil Season One is a more traditional claw hammer. Take that however you see fit.

“I dunno if I can say this, but I love the Netflix Daredevil, it’s great,” Echo helmer Sydney Freeland shared at a press event last month. “And so we certainly took, obviously the Daredevil fight, it was a little bit of a nod to that series … But then also we wanted very adamantly to show that these are people in our show. They bleed, they die, they get killed, and there are real-world consequences. And again, talking, it’s not the fate of the universe at stake because I think once you go that broad, you can sort of lose sight a little bit. And so that kind of dictated the tone a little bit. So I guess to answer your question, it was a conversation, but it wasn’t that reason.” 

Starring Alaqua Cox, all five episodes of Echo will debut exclusively on both Disney+ and Hulu on Tuesday, January 9th. The origin story of Echo revisits Maya Lopez, whose ruthless behavior in New York City catches up with her in her hometown. She must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward. Vincent D’Onofrio will reprise his role as Wilson Fisk / Kingpin, and Charlie Cox will reprise his role as Matt Murdock / Daredevil. Echo will also star Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Cody Lightning, Graham Greene and Zahn McClarnon.

Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Stephen Broussard, Richie Palmer, Marion Dayre, and Jason Gavin (Blackfeet) are executive producers of Echo. Amy Rardin, Sydney Freeland, Christina King (Seminole), and Jennifer Booth are co-executive producers.