After Echo’s partially villainy appearance in Marvel Universe’s popular web series “Hawkeye” (2021), MCU is going to bring Echo’s spinoff series, which can be considered as Hawkeye’s sequel. Echo is one of the MCU’s fan-favorite characters whose diversity has earned her special recognition. She is a deaf and native American character who we first met in “Hawkeye.” Echo’s blossoming back story has captivated fans from the beginning through its expansion, and her sole purpose succeeding at the end, what “Hawkeye” had already shown at the show’s defining moment. But why “Echo” deserves an individual series is up for discussion.
Who Is Echo In Comics?
Echo is a special superhero character that deserves an individual series because, first of all, there are very few disabled characters in Marvel who need to be cultured. Regarding this, since Alaqua Cox is both deaf and native American in real life, Echo’s character’s struggle has become more genuine through her admirable performance.
The character of Maya Lopez, also known as Echo, made its first appearance in the 1999 issue of Daredevil #9. In the comics, we see Echo as a fierce martial artist and Daredevil’s partner, but she has a tragic and inspiring backstory, too, that led her to destroy a famous big bad guy, Kingpin. Kingpin’s partner in crime, William Lopez, was the father of Echo, aka Maya Lopez. Little Maya was born deaf and possessed an uncanny talent called the photographic reflex. But to be aware of this talent of her own, she had to get a huge shock. When Kingpin killed Maya’s father, he adopted Maya at William’s last request. Her father’s bloody handprint made a mark on her face that became her iconic look. However, Kingpin was aware of Maya’s deafness and her special memorizing power, so he sent her to a special boarding school, where Maya learned about her gifted skills and worked hard on them to master those powers. She became a good pianist and an artist who showed equal skill in dancing. But as she grew up, she became an accomplished martial artist who acquired fighting skills similar to Daredevil and Bullseye only by watching their action videos. Impressed by this talent, Kingpin used her as a pawn to exact his revenge on Daredevil. Kingpin poisoned Maya’s heart with the filth of vengeful thoughts against Daredevil by lying that he was her father’s killer. Maya set out to find Daredevil to take revenge. Although she was romantically involved with Matt Murdock, not knowing his identity as Daredevil, she did not hesitate to make her move to kill him. While fighting Daredevil, Maya noticed the scar on his face, which was similar to Matt’s. Maya realized Daredevil was her boyfriend, Matt Murdock. Later, it was Matt who revealed to her and told her that Kingpin was her father’s real killer. Maya got her revenge, shooting Kingpin on the streets of New York, which led to his blinding. While in comic books, we have seen multiple times that Maya has worked with the New Avengers. She was several times killed and resurrected as well. She was killed by The Hand leader Elektra and later by Nefaria in Los Angeles. When she returns to Murdock, she experiences another heartbreak when she sees him involved with someone else.
Working as an undercover agent, she worked indirectly with Wolverine and other Avengers like Clint Barton as well. According to the comics, Maya Lopez was the first Ronin who let Clint Barton become the next. Later, she was known as the leader of the Phoenix Force. She also got a little cameo in the Moon Knight comic series where she worked as an undercover agent in a strip club to capture a west coast criminal gang, but while Moon Knight intervened, a little romantic connection buzzed in between them.
Echo’s Role In The 2021 Series “Hawkeye”
In Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers #11 issue, the first Ronin was Maya Lopez, who is shown in a complete reversal in the 2021 “Hawkeye” series. The series features Maya as a partial villain who is the leader of a gang called the Tracksuit Mafia. As shown in her back story, she had been missing a leg since childhood and instead had a mechanical one, despite which she is one hell of a fighter. But, here, the story is contrasted when Maya notices Ronin as her father’s killer. But in reality, it was Kingpin who tipped Clint Barton to kill Will Lopez during Thanos’ post-snap time when Clint ditched his Hawkeye costume and became Ronin. However, eventually, Maya learns the truth, and she shoots Kingpin to execute her revenge.
What To Expect From Echo’s Spinoff Series?
Since the shooting of Echo’s upcoming spinoff series has already wrapped up, presumably, we will see “Echo” on Disney’s screens soon in 2023. But the Marvel fandom has already begun to speculate and express different opinions. The entire fandom wants to see some surprising cameos in the “Echo” series. With Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofri already set to return to Echo, we’re excited to see how Maya Lopez’s story will take a turn. Since Clint Barton retired after handing over the responsibility of being Hawkeye to Kate Bishop, it can be assumed that we could see the appearance of Kate in “Echo.” But since both of them have no shortage of vengeance against Kingpin, we have raised the expectation level for the two of them to have massive combat against Kingpin.
So far, the most worrying of all the rumors is whether the Kingpin is still alive. The answer is yes, because we didn’t see Kingpin’s on-screen death at the very end; instead, we just got gunshots. According to the comics, Maya blinded him instead of killing him. So, in the upcoming series, we can see the Kingpin alive. His past involving Maya and the subsequent story of his supposed blindness is going to make the Kingpin a major sinister figure in the show. How much of Maya’s romantic connection to Matt Murdock will be shown here, or how the story will turn out if it is shown, is highly debatable. Rather, the sight of Clint Barton as Ronin as Maya’s father’s killer has already given a twist to Echo’s story, so Matt Murdock’s appearance leaves us waiting for some surprises to come. Either we are going to see a great face-off between Maya and Matt, or they are going to team up and attack the Kingpin together.
Some Avengers or other superhero or antihero appearances are also expected in this upcoming MCU series, such as Wolverine to Moon Knight or Nefaria to Elektra, etc. However, it is hoped that the “Echo” series can not only rely on the cameo, but we want a potential individual story of Maya Lopez because the series is going to move forward based on Echo. The presence of Echo’s Phoenix Force and the creation of a new storyline might make this series more appealing to the audience. With “Madagascar” and “Men in Black III” writers Etan Cohen and Emily Cohen joining as the head writers, we can only expect that an engrossing storyline will be on its way.
