Echo V4

[Loree Naumann]

Echo is an American television miniseries created for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name. It is the 10th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and is a spin-off of the series Hawkeye (2021). It sees Maya Lopez return to her hometown where she must come to terms with her past, reconnect with her Native American roots, and embrace her family and community. Marion Dayre and Amy Rardin serve as head writers and Sydney Freeland leads the directing team.

Alaqua Cox reprises her role as Maya Lopez / Echo from Hawkeye, with Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Charlie Cox, Devery Jacobs, Zahn McClarnon, Cody Lightning, Graham Greene, and Vincent D'Onofrio also starring. Development of the spin-off began by March 2021, when Alaqua Cox was confirmed to be returning and Etan and Emily Cohen were attached as head writers. The series was formally announced in November 2021, when Dayre was revealed to be serving as head writer, with Freeland set to direct by March 2022. Filming took place from late April to late August 2022, in the Atlanta metropolitan area including Atlanta, Peachtree City, Social Circle, and Grantville, Georgia. In May 2022, Marvel revealed further cast members and that Catriona McKenzie would also direct for the series, while Rardin's involvement was revealed in September.

Echo was released in its entirety simultaneously on Disney+ and Hulu on January 9, 2024, consisting of five episodes. It is Marvel Studios' first television release to debut on Hulu and to receive a TV-MA rating. It is part of Phase Five of the MCU and the first series under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner.

Five months after the events of Hawkeye (2021),[1] Maya Lopez is being pursued by Wilson Fisk's organization, leading her to return to her hometown in Oklahoma, where she must come to terms with her past, reconnect with her Native American roots, and embrace her family and community.[2][3][4]

Additionally, Katarina Ziervogel portrays Taloa, Maya's mother. Julia Jones, Morningstar Angeline, and Dannie McCallum appear, in vignettes and flashes, as Maya's ancestors Chafa, Lowak, and Tuklo: per variations of the Choctaw origin story, Chafa was the first Choctaw, helping her people emerge to the world from a cave-in at Nanih Waiya; Lowak was a Choctaw tribeswoman in 1200 who competed in a game of Choctaw Stickball; and Tuklo was the first female Lighthorseman.[22] Andrew Howard, who previously portrayed Luther Banks in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., recurs as Zane, one of the leaders of the Black Knife Cartel who is loyal to Fisk.[23] Thomas E. Sullivan, who previously portrayed Nathaniel Malick in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., appears as Victor "Vickie" Tyson, an employee at Henry's bowling rink.[24] Jeremy Renner appears as Clint Barton / Ronin in the first episode through archive footage from Hawkeye,[25] while Richie Palmer Sr. and ML Gemmill, respectively, voice Fisk's parents Bill and Marlene Fisk in the final episode, replacing Domenick Lombardozzi and Angela Reed, who portrayed the characters in Daredevil.[26] Pat Kiernan and Errol Louis portray themselves in the mid-credits scene of "Maya".[27]

In a flashback to Alabama in 1200 AD, Lowak is participating in a game of Choctaw Stickball against a Cherokee tribe. When Lowak's team is close to winning, the opposing side send out a formidable warrior who helps to even the score. Lowak is desperate to avoid exile for her team if they should lose and receives a vision during an intense melee. With her hands glowing, Lowak breaks out of the melee with the ball and secures victory for her tribe.

In a flashback to the late 1800s, Tuklo practices shooting with her father, one of the Lighthorsemen. Despite wanting to be a lighthorseman, her father forbids this due to her gender. Tuklo's father rides out to confront some local criminals while Tuklo braids her hair like a Choctaw warrior. She receives a vision of Chafa and Lowak, and her hands begin to glow. The criminals ambush Tuklo's father, but she hears the attack and arrives in time to save him and his group.

In a flashback to her childhood, Maya hits a woodpecker with a slingshot. Taloa reprimands Maya for hurting an innocent life, and, with her hands glowing, heals the woodpecker. Later, the two release it back into the wild.

In December 2020, deaf and amputee newcomer Alaqua Cox was announced as having been cast as the Marvel Comics character Maya Lopez / Echo in Marvel Studios' Disney+ series Hawkeye (2021).[28][29] By March 2021, Marvel Studios was in early development on a spin-off from Hawkeye centered on Cox's Lopez for Disney+, with Etan Cohen and Emily Cohen set to write and executive produce.[30] During the Disney+ Day event in November 2021, the series was officially announced as Echo,[31] and Marion Dayre was serving as head writer by then instead of the Cohens.[32] Amy Rardin would also join the series to serve as head writer alongside Dayre.[5][33][6] Bert & Bertie, who directed the Hawkeye episode "Echoes" in which Lopez is introduced, did not believe they would be involved with the spin-off series and felt it would be appropriate for someone in the Native American community to further tell the character's story.[34] In March 2022, Sydney Freeland shared a casting call on her Instagram page, indicating her involvement in the series as a director.[35] Marvel Studios confirmed Freeland as a director in May, while also announcing that Catriona McKenzie would also direct for the series.[3] Freeland directed all episodes except the third, which was directed by McKenzie.[36] Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Stephen Broussard, Louis D'Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Victoria Alonso, and Richie Palmer serve as executive producers along with Dayre, Jason Gavin, and Freeland, while Rardin is a co-executive producer.[37][38] The series consists of five episodes.[37]

Andrew Howard, who previously portrayed Luther Banks in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., recurs in the series as Zane, one of Fisk's henchmen.[23] Archive footage of Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Ronin from Hawkeye is featured in the first episode,[25] while Richie Palmer Sr. and ML Gemmill respectively voice Fisk's parents Bill and Marlene Fisk in the final episode, replacing Domenick Lombardozzi and Phyllis Somerville, who portrayed the characters in Daredevil.[26] Deaf actress Katarina Ziervogel portrays Taloa.[51]

It's not just a suit, it's a war record. It's a unique and symbolic costume and represents Maya coming into her own and accepting her spot in her real family. It is her saying, 'I am Maya Lopez,' and I echo the powers of the ancestors not just in my kickass abilities, but in the way I dress, the way I braid my hair and down to the details on my prosthetic leg.

Freeland worked to ensure her close-up shots included actors signing, with many on the crew taking American Sign Language classes.[5] They learned that unlike speaking, which conveys text and subtext, signing conveys the text while a person's face convey's the subtext, which changed Freeland's approach to filming Lopez.[46] Douglas Ridloff served as the ASL consultant and a consulting producer,[14][36] after previously doing so on Hawkeye and Eternals (2021),[66] with the series employing ASL and Indigenous ASL interpreters. Ridloff, who is the husband of Eternals actress Lauren Ridloff,[66] would adjust his translations of English to sign language depending on each character, taking into account things such as what their proficiency should be or familial or regional dialects.[14] For example, Bonnie signs without speaking as she is proficient while the elder characters such as Chula sign slower and use SimCom, which is signing and speaking at the same time.[46] Ridloff was also able to incorporate Plains Indian Sign Language and other Indigenous sign languages that "date back to pre-colonization" into the series.[14]

In May 2023, Jeff Sneider of Above the Line reported that the series was originally filmed as eight episodes and after various production issues, had been found by Feige to be "unreleasable"; discussions were then had about possibly editing what had been filmed into four or six episodes during post-production before it was ultimately decided to reshoot much of the series.[67] The series ultimately consists of five episodes.[37] Due to its grounded story, it was reported as having fewer visual effects compared to Marvel Studios' other series.[42] Editors for the series are Joel Pashby,[68] Chris McCaleb, Amelia Allwarden, Shelby Hall,[69] and Tania Goding.[10]

By February 2023, Mato Wayuhi was working on the score for the series,[70] but was no longer involved by the end of July or start of August.[71] Dave Porter revealed in December that he was serving as the composer for the series.[72][71] The title track was released by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on January 5, 2024,[73] followed by the series' soundtrack album on January 12, 2024.[74] "Burning" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs is heard over the main titles. The soundtrack heavily featured several pre-existing vocal songs, as opposed to prior MCU Disney+ series which traditionally featured original scores.[75]

Alaqua Cox, D'Onofrio, Jacobs, Greene, Cody Lightning, Chaske Spencer, and Feige presented the first footage of the series in a first-look video at the D23 Expo in September 2022,[76][6] which included subtitles. Wilson Chapman of Variety highlighted many scenes featuring Echo "kicking ass" and of the Native American people, and the appearance of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin with an eyepatch.[6] Aidan Kelley from Collider said the footage perfectly set up the series' tone and made it clear that Lopez's Native American heritage would be prominent throughout. Kelley also said the footage showed Lopez being "a total badass with an incredible performance from Alaqua Cox who just exudes charisma without uttering a single word".[77] The first trailer was released on November 3, 2023.[5] Michael McWhertor at Polygon called the footage "shockingly violent" and pointed out its inclusion of a brief Daredevil cameo.[78] Later that day, the first two episodes were screened at the District area of the Choctaw Casinos & Resorts in Durant, Oklahoma, with Freeland also participating in a Q&A. The MOWA Choctaw Cultural Center also began one of the Choctaw Nation's largest annual powwows to promote the series and celebrate National American Indian Heritage Month.[44][79] A trailer released on December 16, 2023, that indicated the series' earlier release date, was noted for its brutal and bloody violence,[80][81][82][83] which Ray Flook of Bleeding Cool believed was the most seen in a Marvel series since Marvel Television's Netflix series.[81] ComicBook.com's Adam Barnhardt pointed out the use of narration in the trailer, "a rare occurrence for a Marvel Studios show", to note Echo's use of violence.[82]

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