Marvel's upcoming Disney+ series, Echo, gives us a glimpse into a harrowing story and introduces Marvel's first Native American and deaf lead. Echo is set to premiere on January 10 and will be the first Marvel series on Disney's streaming platform to have a TV-MA rating.
We first meet Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez in Hawkeye, and in Echo, Maya finds herself being pursued by Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin and his criminal empire. As her journey brings her back home, she must confront her own family and the legacy she carries.
Echo marks several firsts for Marvel Studios. As mentioned earlier, this series is grittier than its predecessors, hence the TV-MA rating. Director and executive producer Sydney Freeland shared during a recent press screening that they wanted to fully embrace Maya's villainess and portray the raw reality of her story. Taking inspiration from Marvel's Daredevil and Punisher, they aimed to capture both the storytelling and visual elements that make those series so compelling.
Despite Maya being a character who can't hear or speak, Freeland made sure that the series remained centered on her. The production team even took American Sign Language classes and tailored the visual style around Cox, ensuring that the lead character never gets lost in the intense sequences.
In addition to Alaqua Cox, Echo also stars Chaske Spencer, Graham Greene, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Zahn McClarnon, Cody Lightning, and Vincent D'Onofrio.
The series is directed by Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie, with executive producers including Kevin Feige, Stephen Broussard, Louis D'Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Victoria Alonso, Richie Palmer, Jason Gavin, Marion Dayre, and Sydney Freeland. Jennifer L. Booth and Amy Rardin serve as co-executive producers.
Source:
Deadline