Summary
Marvel Studiosrecently changed the format of its Disney+ MCU shows with the release ofEcho. Not only were all episodes of the five-episode limited series released at once under Marvel’s new Spotlight banner, but the show also has a mature rating. This means that the show is much more gritty and violent than the otherMCUshows that fans have seen so far.
For the most part,Echois a very self-contained TV showthat mainly sticks to the streets of New York. Despite this, there are still a few things that this show can tell fans about the future of theMCU.
5Daredevil Gets His Red Costume Back
Matt Murdock Is Done With Yellow For Now
Charlie Cox makes his third appearance as the blind vigilante, Daredevil, inEcho. His appearance is only small, but it does tell fans a lot about what they can expect from the character in the franchise moving forward.
The last time Daredevil appeared in the MCU, it was inthe comical show,She-Hulk. This Disney+ show was more light-hearted in tone thanEcho, which gave the producers the chance to debut this version of Matt Murdock in his classic yellow costume. However, many fans were left to wonder when they would see him in his iconic red outfit. Fortunately, viewers didn’t have to wait long, asEchoconfirms that Daredevil is now back in red and that he is going to remain as the bruiser he was in his Netflix series.
4Some Netflix Material Is Canon
The MCU Is Free To Take What They Want From Previous Incarnations Of Its Street-Level Heroes
When it was announced that both Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio would be reprising their roles from theDaredevilNetflix series, fans of the franchise were left with a lot of questions. Firstly, is everything that happened in that series canon to the MCU? Also, would any of the other actors be reprising their roles in the franchise? WhileKingpin’s super-strengthinHawkeyeseemed to suggest that this was an entirely new continuity for these characters, it seems that some things will remain as canon.
For example, Kingpin gets flashback to his father’s death inEchoand even tries to gift the heroine with the hammer he used in that series. However, there are still some discrepancies. For instance, surely The Avengers would have shown up or at least referenced the dragon bones in New York that were the central plot element in Netflix’sThe Defenders.TheEchoshow seems to confirm that Marvel is cherry-picking some things from the Netflix shows that they want to use as canon in the MCU and disregarding the rest. However, the franchise will need to take time to highlight anything that remains canon.
3Echo Is More Than Just A Street-Level Hero
The Character Gets A New Power Set In The Show
The Echo character from the comics, and the one set up inHawkeye, is a very grounded hero who has no superpowers. Instead, the character uses her martial arts prowess and grit to defeat her enemies and help out New York. As such, many fans of the MCU assumed that Echo would remain a street-level hero and that she would only ever appear to fight small crimes alongside other vigilantes, like Daredevil.
However, Echo receives a hugeupgrade to her power setin her own show. During the series, Maya constantly has flashbacks to her ancestors in the Choctaw tribe. These interactions serve as more than just backstory, as Echo soon learns that she can use any of the abilities of her ancestors when in need. These abilities include healing others and increased durability or strength. Therefore, Echo has been upgraded from just a normal vigilante to someone more powerful, and she may be filling some bigger shoes in the MCU at some point in the future.
2Kingpin’s Reign In New York
The Villain Now Has A Bigger Goal
Wilson Fisk may get taken down by the titular hero in theEchofinale, but that does not mean thatthe Kingpin of crimeis ready to give up his chase for power just yet. The mid-credits scene at the end of the show sees Fisk watching the news announce that New York is ready to receive new candidates for the next mayoral election.
As many comic readers know, Kingpin has become mayor of New York before. In his run as mayor in this series, Fisk has outlawed all vigilantes in the city and generally makes life a lot harder for the heroes in the Marvel universe. Since the MCU seems to be looking at adapting this story, Kingpin could soon be elevated to be a villain as feared and iconic as Thanos.
1Kingpin And Spider-Man Could Clash
So far, much of the speculation surrounding the fourth Spider-Man movie in the MCU seems to suggest that the hero will be returning to his street-level roots. This notion was hinted at by removing the hero’s identity at the end ofSpider-Man: No Way Home, and Marvel Executive Producer, Kevin Feige,seemingly confirmed as such.
With Kingpin now running for, and likely to become, Mayor of New York, this appointment could spell trouble for Spider-Man. Kingpin started out as a villain to Peter Parker before he appeared inDaredevil, so it would make sense for the pair to clash in the MCU.
