‘Echo’ Is More of What the MCU Needs

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Echo.

The Big Picture

• Echo is the first Marvel project under the Spotlight banner, allowing for more freedom and grounded storytelling.
• Echo‘s TV-MA rating allows for mature content and violent scenes, giving the show a darker tone.
• The small stakes of Echo in Oklahoma make for a compelling story focused on Maya and her personal journey.

Echo has just made its debut both on Disney+ and Hulu with all five episodes of the series released simultaneously, marking the first project that Marvel has used its “Spotlight” banner for, saved exclusively for content that doesn’t directly impact MCU continuity. So while it exists within the world, viewers not caught up with Marvel Studios’ various other entries could theoretically tune in without any prior knowledge and not feel lost in the, well, echo. The series has a lot more freedom than its predecessors in the Disney+ realm, letting Marvel stretch its legs in terms of content and grounded storytelling – something that hopefully won’t remain exclusive to the Spotlight banner, as it could greatly improve a fading MCU.

‘Echo’s TV-MA Rating and Grounded Approach Is a Big Step for Marvel Studios

Echo is making waves as the studio’s first TV-MA project and is also heavily leaning into the mature departure, marketing the binge release as “One Killer Drop.” The marketing for the show has boasted and bragged about its violent content, and the rating has allowed Echo to match the tone set by Netflix’s Daredevil (and even features a much-teased cameo from our favorite horned hero). One of the primary reasons for the TV-MA rating is the inclusion of Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) as the antagonist of the show. Fisk was a prominent character in Daredevil and a hulking figure throughout Marvel comics, a brutal brawler who would beat anyone who looked at him the wrong way to a bloody pulp. Similar to Maya (Alaqua Cox), his first appearance in the main MCU timeline (all the Netflix shows are technically canon now) was in Hawkeye. It was easy to recognize that Kingpin wasn’t his usual volatile self, forced to stay within a certain range of violence that just doesn’t allow Fisk to do what he does best.

Fortunately, this was not a problem throughout Echo, as Fisk is back to his brutal ways, smashing heads both for and because of Maya, justifying the TV-MA rating as it helped significantly flesh out Maya’s backstory. In Episode 4 of Echo, a young Maya is refused service by a street vendor during a flashback simply because she is Deaf. Maya’s “Uncle” Fisk catches sight of this and decides to get even with the vendor on her behalf. Pursuing him down the street, Fisk grabs the vendor and slams him up against a dumpster, landing blow after blow. With his pristine white suit jacket now splattered in blood, he makes a call to get a new one, not wanting Maya to see what he’s done. But it’s too late — little Maya stands in the alleyway, having watched the entire ordeal. Instead of exhibiting fear or disgust towards her uncle’s violent actions, she joins in, making for a truly shocking moment as she kicks the bruised and bloody vendor even more. Such a bleak scenario allows us to understand just how early violence became a part of Maya’s life and why it’s important not to shy away from some blood and gore.

While not every title in the MCU needs to be TV-MA, there is some serious catharsis in seeing the damage caused by our villains, anti-heroes, and even heroes, instead of the camera cutting away seconds before. As an example, another Disney+ show like Moon Knight would have drastically benefitted from a TV-MA rating as the nature of the titular character is inherently violent. The coveted rating will most likely remain scarce in the coming projects, except for Deadpool 3’s definite R-rating and Daredevil: Born Again, but it is nice to know that we’ve reached a point where Marvel Studios are comfortable enough to let the blood and gore flow a little bit, even if they show all the explicit scenes in the trailers beforehand.

Sure, slapping “Viewer Discretion Advised” before each episode doesn’t guarantee an uptick in quality, but luckily for Echo, the show is much more than its mature rating. Once we’ve walked through Maya’s origins and recapped her journey throughout Hawkeye, we see her return home to Tamaha, Oklahoma, leading to a rocky reunion with her family and the rest of the Choctaw Nation. While it is a bit of a slow burn, it is a welcome departure from the MCU as of late. After several trips throughout space, across time, and through the vast multiverse, it’s so refreshing to be on the ground for Echo. The show is about heritage and family first, superhero theatrics second, and while Marvel will always be comic book-y and filled with CGI explosions, the MCU could take some notes from Echo and inject a few more quiet, down-to-earth moments in its upcoming projects.

Small Stakes Are Just as Impactful in ‘Echo’

Echo also proves (take notes, Marvel) that the stakes don’t need to be world-ending or universe-threatening to be compelling. As promised by the Spotlight banner, the stakes of Echo won’t necessarily stretch beyond Oklahoma. For the most part, they are strictly tied to Maya and her decisions, but it is handled in a way that is compelling and keeps you watching, in the same vein as the Netflix shows like Daredevil or Jessica Jones. Maya isn’t slipping through time or creating fake alternate realities – she’s just really bad at reconnecting with her loved ones.

One of the most compelling relationships in Echo revolves around Maya and her cousin, Bonnie (Devery Jacobs). As children, the two were thick as thieves, the best of best friends, but when Maya returns to Tamaha after 20-something years, she doesn’t even reach out to her cousin — which makes it quite awkward when they come face to face in the most unlikely of circumstances. Maya has refrained from reaching out because she’s ashamed of what she’s become under her uncle’s tutelage and is scared at the thought of reconciliation with someone who is so comparatively innocent. Raw human emotion drives the conflict, and the stakes, the danger to Maya’s family happens because of her actions. As Maya herself is forced to reconcile with this, Alaqua Cox sells it brilliantly.

As these shows have demonstrated, street-level heroes and their stories can be just as compelling if not more so than the adventures of the Avengers or Guardians. While not as large in scale, the stakes can feel just as impactful and compelling. While massive battles of epic comic proportions will never cease to be exciting, after a bumpy year, the MCU could earn some credibility back with fans by telling more stories like Echo and perhaps even gain some new ones in the process.

Echo is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.

Watch on Disney+