“Marvel’s Echo” Review
Almost sixteen years and counting since Iron Man, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a cultural touchstone. Unfortunately, in the wake of Endgame, it would seem that the franchise has started to overstay its welcome. The amount of shows and movies churned out in the last three years are making even longtime fans start to walk away from it all, with 2023 going down as a failure for the franchise. Now it’s 2024, and Marvel’s ready to make things right. So, Marvel’s coming out of the same way they started the post-Endgame landscape: with another miniseries, Echo.
So about the Kingpin…I Called It.
Introduced to the MCU in the 2021 Hawkeye series, Maya Lopez is, for lack of a better term, a total badass that worked for the Kingpin. Until she found out that he was the one who duped Hawkeye/Ronin into killing her Dad. She retaliated by putting a bullet into his skull, and that seemed like the end of it.
Except it wasn’t. The Kingpin survived getting shot almost point-blank, and…he wasn’t mad. Despite her trying to kill him, Fisk was actually willing to let bygones be bygones. Because as Hawkeye implied, and Echo confirms, Fisk did care about Maya. Given how it’s Kingpin, though, he’s still very twisted about how he went about it. I.E., a flashback in the fourth episode sees him beat an ice-cream man to death for being rude to her.
And when Maya refuses his offer of coming back to New York and running his empire, he reacts like the angry man he is and tries to wipe out Maya’s hometown and family. But more on that in a moment, as we need to talk about Maya.
The first episode serves as a flashback showing how Maya left her family and the Choctaw people in Oklahoma and wound up in New York, and it’s not a happy story. After losing her leg and her mom in a car crash, her father took her with him when he went to work in New York. He wanted her to live a better life than he did as a criminal, but after Kingpin orchestrated his death by Ronin, he got his claws into her and turned her into his greatest weapon, capable of even fighting off the likes of Daredevil.
What’s worse is that, even after she thinks she’s killed him and returns to her home, Maya’s still not free. The whole reason she even returned home was to find a way to take over Kingpin’s empire.
Maya Lopez Got the ‘Echo State’
Herein lies the main theme behind Echo: it’s a story about someone whose had a hard life trying to heal by reconnecting with their past. In this case, Maya spends the series reconnecting with her estranged family and friends. It’s hard for her, since she’s had to harden herself to survive in Kingpin’s world, but she manages to get there. However, it isn’t even her living family that provides the catalyst that turns her into the hero she’s meant to be. It’s her ancestors.
Which leads us to the most bizarre part of the series. In the MCU, Maya is the descendant of Chafa, the mythical first member of the Choctaw. As a result of this, she has this ability to call upon the skills of her ancestors to aid in battle. It’s like the Avatar State from Avatar or the Bleeding Effect from Assassin’s Creed.
And while some people might complain about it and how ridiculous it seems, remember, this is Marvel. Marvel is a multiverse filled with magic, aliens, alternate dimensions, time travel, and actual gods. Compared to that, this is downright normal!
In addition to explaining why she’s such a badass, this emerging power also gives Maya the closure she needs. Her mother might be dead, but she and her ancestors are always a part of her. They echo through time to aid her when she needs it the most, hence why she comes to be called Echo. And once she embraces this and rejects the violent path the Kingpin tries to set out for her, she becomes the hero her hometown needs.
Still Better than Secret Invasion
So, what is the final verdict to this? Is this essentially watching for the MCU? No, it isn’t. At this point, the MCU’s grown to the point where it’s not necessary to watch everything to get what’s going on. But that means fans can pick and choose what to enjoy; they’ve been able to do that for years. While the movies can handle the massive, world-ending events, the shows can stick closer to the streets.
So, should you watch Echo? Well, the story and character interaction are good, even if the combat is a little played out. Plus, its depiction of the myths and culture of the Choctaw people seem to be accurate, give or take a few liberties. The Chahta even made a website showing their involvement in making the series, so Marvel did their homework. So, if you’re a fan of the stories that stick closer to the streets like Hawkeye, Daredevil, and more, then give Echo a watch. Especially if you’re planning on watching the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series.
Also, consider the following: the show is still better than Secret Invasion. That was a disappointment!
