_{By: Amanda Guarragi}

It has been five years since Avengers: Endgame was released, and Marvel has created many new projects. After the end of an entire decade for the Infinity Saga, the projects have become more diverse, which brought in a new audience. In some cases, the shift to a streaming platform has changed the quality of the projects for Marvel. The projects with some supporting characters have sometimes felt forced or rushed, which has caused some issues in Phases 4 and 5 as a whole. After watching Hawkeye and witnessing the incredible introduction of Echo (Alaqua Cox) as a tie to Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), it was necessary to give her the Marvel Spotlight. The Marvel fans quickly loved the new female characters in many projects. Presenting someone who is deaf in the Hawkeye show was the perfect introduction to show that representation for children everywhere. Not only was it the representation that mattered for Maya as Echo, but her culture quickly became the heart of her as well. 

For fans of Daredevil, the menacing Kingpin we have all known for years was a bit different in Hawkeye, and thankfully, we saw a glimpse of who he truly is in Echo. After everything that Maya went through as a child with her disability and trying to be part of her community, she fell into the hands of Kingpin. She was raised on his temperament, restrictions and violence. Everything that she absorbed as a child because of the treatment of others around her fuelled her to become the killing machine Kingpin sculpted. Maya became an extension of Kingpin instead of becoming an individual. And that’s why Echo as a series is pivotal for Maya. She went back home and rediscovered who she was. This Marvel Spotlight was a reintroduction to the character. The series belongs to Maya and what connects her to her roots back home. The series was directed by Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie, who both explored the authenticity of Maya and the women who came before her. The strength of this series lies with Maya’s family and community back home. The passing of the torch and the generational stories that makeup Maya’s spirit were what made the final episode empowering. 

Echo is also the first series for Marvel that had a TV-MA rating, and they utilized it as much as they could. The fight choreography was unique for Maya, and that’s why it was exciting to watch her. The sound design, combined with her stealth decisions, allowed audiences to step inside her mind and calculate her next move with her. Whenever Maya would see her next opponent and square off, you could see the care and dedication that Cox brings to the role. However, the writing in each episode and the structure didn’t work well because of the anticipation of Kingpin returning. The bones of Maya’s story were present in the series, but there seemed to be no emotional connection to the characters. Maya already has an edge because of Kingpin, and it felt like this series meant to soften her. However, that’s not what some viewers had in mind. Let alone softening Maya, but also softening Kingpin when we just reintroduced him to the MCU. The series is a mixed bag because it felt rushed due to the five episodes, but each episode also dragged because they felt empty. For many of these reintroductions in the MCU, it feels like the characters get their backstories but remain stagnant. 

The five-episode structure for Echo was the downfall for this character because they could have added more with Kingpin in some episodes. It was underwhelming to wait for Kingpin towards the end of the episode. He was there to show the aftermath of the bullet hitting his eye in Hawkeye. There is also so much time between projects that the first episode of these series tends to be a recap instead of a fresh start with these characters. It’s frustrating because there are many effective elements present. But all those components must work together as a whole for it to be successful. What the series does well is set the future for this character and her relationship with Kingpin, as we will most definitely see them in Daredevil Born Again. The way Kingpin was handled in Echo was a bit weak, and hopefully, in future projects, we get to see the other side of the brooding monster we have all grown to love. D’Onofrio always gives an exceptional performance as Kingpin. And we are all lucky to have him in this role for as long as we get him. To know Echo is more powerful as a street-level assassin will be interesting moving forward, and Alaqua Cox has cemented herself as one of the best new characters.