The Marvel Cinematic Universe had a rough 2023. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania narrowly avoided becoming the worst-rated MCU film on Rotten Tomatoes. On the small screen Secret Invasion landed with a thud. Even the small rays of sunshine had a shadow cast over them. Their best movie of the year was directed by the guy leaving Marvel to re-launch the cinematic universe of their arch-rival DC. The Marvels brought the fun back to the MCU and proved that the right character could transition from Disney+ to the big screen with Iman Velani’s star-making turn as Kamala Khan only to become the MCU’s worst box office performer.
Echo arrives on Disney+ with all of that baggage in tow. Head writers Marion Dayre and Amy Rardin and director Sydney Freeland make a valiant effort to bring something unique to the MCU. Although most of the interesting qualities have been ground down by the Marvel machine, the focus on Maya’s family and history, along with a stellar cast anchored by Alaqua Cox in the lead role are enough to make Echo join the ranks of Guardians 3 and The Marvels as one of Marvel’s better offerings.
From the first episode, “Chafa,” the evidence of tinkering is clear right away. The opening of the episode explores Maya’s childhood and the origin of the Choctaw people. This is where the show shines. The supporting cast is a murderer’s row of legendary Indigenous actors. Zahn McClarnon reprises his role as Maya’s father William and her grandparents are played by Tantoo Cardinal and Graham Greene. Seeing the complicated family dynamics rounds out Maya’s character. For viewers that watched 2021’s Hawkeye, it’s a welcome addition to a character that made an immediate impact when she was introduced. For newcomers, it’s a good starting point for understanding Maya.
Unfortunately, the episode’s momentum grinds to a halt when Echo drops in a strange cliff notes version of Maya’s story from Hawkeye. It’s as if Marvel couldn’t trust Echo to exist outside of the context of the larger MCU even while using the show to launch their new “Marvel Spotlight” banner for stories that allow viewers to “jump in blind and enjoy it on its own terms”. The feeling of studio meddling never goes away as the series progresses. Every time Echo starts to settle into a groove there’s a turn in the plot that feels like a product of last-minute changes. Despite the presence of talented actors in supporting roles many of them end up underutilized.
The cast and their performances are what save Echo from being the latest Marvel disaster. Alaqua Cox brings an intensity to Maya that is perfect for the MCU’s first TV-MA rated project. As the series explores Maya’s upbringing, it’s easy to understand where the simmering rage that Maya carries with her comes from. She’s spent her life losing all of the important people around her, including her mother and extended family in one fell swoop after her grandmother, Chula, blames William for the death of Maya’s mother.
After her father’s death, she’s left in the care of Kingpin. He takes young Maya’s hurt and anger and channels it outward while positioning himself as her protector. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk has always had an air of menace about him and Cox brings a similar energy to Maya. However, it’s modulated by a vulnerability and playfulness that blossoms when Maya returns home to Oklahoma and reconnects with her family. Her cousin Biscuits (Cody Lightning) is one of the highlights of the series and brings a welcome lightness. Biscuits is quickly positioned as the comedic relief but he’s also the first of Maya’s family members to welcome her back with pure joy.
Most of Maya’s other relations are complicated and messy. Chula, her cousin Bonnie (Devery Jacobs), and her uncle Henry (Chaske Spencer) are either hoping to avoid her or being avoided by Maya. Tantoo Cardinal gets the most to work with as Maya and Chula spend the series slowly inching their way closer to each other. When their confrontation finally occurs in Episode 4, it works miles better as a climax than the final confrontation with Fisk and his goons.
When Echo leans into the family drama and Maya’s struggle to define herself after discovering Fisk’s manipulation, the series works much better. The small stakes are much more interesting than her strange attempt to start a war with Fisk’s organization. As well choreographed as the action in the show is and as good as Cox is at performing the action, there’s no real reason to be invested and often it feels like the action was dropped into the show to check a box. There’s a feeling that Marvel did not trust the family drama to hold people’s attention and so they have to toss in different things to spice up the series. There’s a Daredevil cameo, a train chase, and even a monster truck. It’s time better spent with the stories of Maya’s ancestors.
The stories of the other women in Maya’s family line are the most creatively interesting parts of the series. Director Sidney Freeland takes some chances in these segments and experiments with color, sound, and editing to make each segment unique. The Stickball sequence brought tension and frenetic action while the silent film-inspired piece with the Lighthorsmen is in line with the creativity we’ve seen in successful MCU television like Wandavision and Loki.
It’s clear that a lot of effort and care went into exploring Maya’s background as a member of the Choctaw Tribe. There are flashes of a show that puts Maya’s history and her family center stage. A confident show that is interested in what returning home means for a character like Maya who was whisked away and then isolated. When the focus is on Maya’s journey reconnecting with characters like Biscuits, Bonnie, and Chula it’s easy to be drawn in by the strong work being done by Cox and the supporting cast.
Unfortunately, there’s always something pulling us away from those threads. Even the fallout from Maya’s decision to break away from Fisk feels like it belongs in a different show. It’s a shame that the end product is so hamstrung by the requirements of the MCU because there’s so much to like and appreciate here. As Marvel looks to bounce back, I hope they realize the potential and missed opportunities in Echo and that there’s room moving forward to bring Maya back.
All five episodes of Echo are streaming now on Disney+ and Hulu.
Images courtesy of Disney+
REVIEW RATING
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'Echo' - 7/10
7/10
Jose Cordova is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A lifelong appreciator of film, television, and video games, he can usually be found sitting on his couch desperately trying to make a dent in his watchlist.
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