Echo, the next MCU series coming to Disney Plus, is set to be a league above the rest – early reactions are full of praise, particularly for its “brutal and dark” content.
2023 has been a tough year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its two successes, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 and Loki Season 2, either mark the departure of a banger-for-banger auteur as he heads over to the rival studio or cap off the tenure of its best character.
Otherwise, it’s been a bit disastrous: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania flopped with critics and moviegoers alike, failing to gross more than $500 million despite debuting the next big bad; Secret Invasion started well, but it descended into the worst MCU TV series to date; and The Marvels may be the biggest flop in the franchise to date.
Next year could be very different. The theatrical slate has been stripped and pushed back, leaving just Deadpool 3 to entice fans. Its television strategy is evolving too, with Echo launching Marvel Spotlight, a subset of its programming dedicated to “grounded” stories.
Echo reactions: “Marvel remembers it can be violent”
Echo is the MCU’s first TV-MA series, coming ahead of Daredevil: Born Again and Deadpool 3 with its R-rating. Going off the early reactions to the series, Marvel hasn’t spared any blood.
Critic Tom Percival wrote: “Saw the first two episodes of #echo tonight and have a lot of thoughts. I think fans of Netflix’s Daredevil are going to love it. It’s like Marvel remembered it can be violent and dark. Alaqua Cox is amazing! Although I don’t love all the creative decisions though.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
GamesRadar’s Emily Murray also tweeted: “Enjoyed the first two episodes of #ECHO which had an incredible (and violent) fight scene I want to watch again and again. The sound design is [fire]. The brilliant Alaqua Cox continually draws me in, but I found the storytelling and pacing shaky. Excited to see the rest!”
Saw the first two episodes of #echo tonight and have a lot of thoughts. I think fans of Netflix’s Daredevil are going to love it. It’s like Marvel remembered it can be violent and dark. Alaqua Cox is amazing! Although I don’t love all the creative decisions though pic.twitter.com/qvujfoAKiT
— Tom Percival (@twpercival1) December 7, 2023
Filmhounds Magazine’s Paul Klein wrote: “If the world-ending stakes of the MCU have you longing for something more grounded #Echo is the gritty tonic. Two episodes seen and it’s a hard-hitting action thriller with a great sense of Native American culture. Can’t wait to see the final three when they drop in Jan.”
Podcaster Tyrell Charles posted: “I’ve seen 3 eps of #Echo | A grounded, character-driven story with hints of bigger things to come. The strong focus on Maya’s indigenous heritage & personal history intrigues me; and while some quiet moments slow the pacing; when the action scenes come, they are indeed brutal.”
Echo will follow Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), the deaf villain first seen in Hawkeye, as she’s pursued by Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) and returns home, where “she must confront her own family and legacy.”
Echo will premiere on Disney Plus on January 10, 2024. Find out more about the series here.