'Echo' Season 1 Episode Release Dates, Cast, Trailer

Echo Official Synopsis

Season 1 starts Tuesday 9th January 2024 // Network: Disney+

"Maya Lopez's ruthless behaviour in New York City, as part of Wilson Fisk's criminal empire, catches up with her in her hometown; she must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots and embrace the meaning of family and community."

Why You Should Watch 'Echo'

Bridging the gap between the preceding Hawkeye series and the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again show, Echo follows Maya Lopez, who goes by the eponymus nickname. Previously a criminal leader of the Tracksuit Mafia working under Kingpin, who she knew as her "uncle", the current series sees her on the run and trying to connect with her Native American heritage. In the comics she becomes something of an ally to Daredevil, and this might be the basis of the story arc, as the show as been referred to as a prequel to reborn Daredevil TV show. Despite it seeming that Kingpin was finished in Hawkeye, it seems that Maya only wounded him in the eye, leading to him setting his organisation to hunting her down. So, why should you watch Echo? On barely BECAUSE of Echo - but the series is likely to set up larger confrontations down the road. Hopefully we can enjoy the ride...

Who Is In 'Echo'?

Alaqua Cox (no relation to Charlie Cox, of Daredevil fame) reprises her antagonistic character from Hawkeye, and becomes the protagonist, and maybe a reformed character overall? After finding out that Kingpin, her "uncle" called the hit on her father, her faith in the criminal endevours of others is turned around. Reconnecting with her family should heal old wounds. This has so far been her only role, and true to the character is deaf herself. She also has a prosthetic leg, which the stunt team was able to incorporate into her fighting style. She has not, and doesn't need to, publicly revealed the reason for the prosthetic.

Vincent D'Onofrio returns as Kingpin, the overbearing but loveable hugging monster that terrorises a small part of New York. Despite being injured in his face by Echo, he still sees their relationship as a father-daughter dynamic, though whether he'd just ground her if he manages to get his hands on her remains to be seen. Don't think we'll see the last of the character yet either, as Echo sets the stage for future appearances.

Charlie Cox (no relation to Alaqua Cox, of Echo fame) pops up yet again as everyones favourite Hell's Kitchen steward Antma... wait, I mean, Daredevil! After the Netflix show being cancelled, Cox managed to reprise his role first as a fan favourite cameo in Spider-Man, then showed up in She-Hulk, and now as a scene setter for his own lengthy 18 episode Daredevil: Born Again series. Not that we mind.

Someone else MIGHT turn up... but I'm not one to spoiler...

When Will New 'Echo' Episodes Be Released On Disney+?

In a first for Marvel on Disney+, Echo will release all five episodes on the same day. Previous series were released weekly. Episodes will be available from 9pm (EST) Tuesday, 9th of January, 2024 on both Disney+ and Hulu. While Disney+ is intended to be a permanent home (unless a tax break comes along...), viewers on Hulu will only be able to watch the series for 3 months, until April 9th. So get your eyeballs on, fast!

Watch the Official 'Echo' Trailer

Delays, Delays, Delays...

Echo was announced as a project in March 2021, months before she appeared in the Hawkeye mini-series. It was originally scripted as eight episodes, to be released in Summer 2023. In late December 2022, head writer Marion Dayre, revealed a new time line of release in "about a year". In May 2023, Marvel officially announced that the show would premiere on November 29th. Shortly after that, a report surfaced that Kevin Feige, on a push to make "better" TV shows, had declared that the shows as it was, was "unreleasable", which doesn't sound great... When trying to re-edit what had previously been shot, it was decided that major reshoots were needed, which doesn't sound great... From eight "in the can" episodes, and multiple reshoots, the show now consists of just FIVE episodes.

In September, it was announced that the November date was pushed, and that the new (and final) premiere date was January 10th. Oh, and the show was now under the brand new Marvel Spotlight banner, indicating a shift in how Marvel produces its TV shows (for the better, hopefully). In addition, the show is the first MCU TV series to be given a Mature rating.

In mid-December, Marvel changed the final premiere date to the night before, and the show will now absolutely definitely maybe release on Tuesday 9th, 2024. Hopefully.