Marvel announced during the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2022 that Echo/ Maya Lopez was introduced as a villain to Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in Hawkeye, with Native American actress Alaqua Cox playing the role. Cox's Echo received a glowing reception from fans and critics, which solidified Marvel's plans to move forward with a spin-off show centered on the commander of the Tracksuit Mafia.
Although full plot details on Echo have not yet been outlined, the show will reportedly see Maya returning to her hometown and reconnecting with her family, community, and Native American roots. In Hawkeye, it appeared that Maya killed her adoptive uncle and crime lord, Wilson Fisk / Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio), but it has since been confirmed that Fisk and his longtime nemesis Matt Murdock / Daredevil (Charlie Cox) will return in Echo. Filming on Echo has been underway since April and will continue through September, and now there is an additional update about the show.
During its SDCC on Saturday, where Screen Rant was also present, Marvel confirmed that Echo will release on Disney+ in Summer 2023. A particular premiere date wasn't specified. But it has been confirmed that the show will be a part of the studios' Phase 5, which kicks off with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in February 2023.
With its release potentially a full year away, there is still time for fans to learn about the plot and characters in Echo. Besides Alaqua and Charlie Cox, and D'Onofrio, Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Cody Lightning, Graham Greene, and Devery Jacobs have also been cast for the show. However, details on their characters aren't yet transparent. Zahn McClarnon is also returning for Echo to reprise his role as William Lopez, and he may presumably appear in flashback sequences as Maya seeks to revisit her past. Considering that production on Echo is still ongoing, the show might add a few others to the ensemble in the coming days, including some known quantities within the MCU that help tie the character in with the larger universe.
With a release window for Echo announced, audiences' excitement to see how the former assassin transforms into a revered superhero has surely increased. Marvel has very strategically scheduled Charlie Cox's new Daredevil show, Daredevil: Born Again to air about a year after Echo, so it's a no-brainer that the Hawkeye spin-off will help set up the Matt Murdock-centered show. That said, it remains to be seen what direction Marvel will take for the athletic combatant, and if there will be any hints about her adventures in the MCU projects that drop before Echo, particularly Secret Invasion, which directly precedes the spin-off series.
Source: Marvel/SDCC
