It’s been two years since Marvel released Hawkeye, one of its better-reviewed Disney+ TV shows, which threw together seasoned Avenger Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and young superhero wannabe Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). That action-packed series had a whole rogue’s gallery of villains to pit against the two protagonists, including vengeful spy Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and the crime boss known as Kingpin, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio).
But the antagonist who got the most screentime and made a huge impression on the fanbase was Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), the leader of Kingpin’s “Tracksuit Mafia,” who turned on her former protector in the finale. And it is Maya who is now starring in her own spinoff series, Echo, named after the superhero moniker her character uses in the comics.
This series will delve into Maya’s Native American heritage, following her from New York to her Choctaw origins in Oklahoma, where she reconnects with her community and vows to avenge the murder of her father. It will also serve as Charlie Cox’s official reintroduction to the MCU as Matt Murdock following his appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, prior to the release of new series Daredevil: Born Again.
In that regard, Echo is similar to all of Marvel’s other TV shows, connecting disparate chapters of a much larger story. However, it will also be unique in that it is a rare on-screen Marvel property to center a superhero with a disability: Maya is deaf and an amputee with a prosthetic leg, as is actress Alaqua Cox in real life. This marks only the second time we are seeing a deaf superheroine (deaf actress Lauren Ridloff previously played Makkari in Eternals.) It also broadens the degree of Native American representation in the MCU after Season 2 of What If…? introduced a brand new indigenous superhero.
Where can I watch Echo?
All five episodes of Echo Season 1 are streaming on Disney+ starting at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 9, and for the first time, is also available to stream immediately on Hulu. It is the first series to be launched as a “Marvel Spotlight” title, focusing on telling more grounded, character-driven stories.
Philip Ellis is News Editor at Men’s Health, covering fitness, pop culture, sex and relationships, and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV, and he is the author of Love & Other Scams.