Echo Series to Launch Marvel Spotlight Banner That Downplays MCU Continuity
Echo has added yet another first to its cap.
Already, the Hawkeye offshoot is the first Marvel series rated TV-MA to stream on Disney+… the first live-action Marvel series to get a binge release… and the first Marvel series to stream on both Disney+ and Hulu. And it revolves around Maya Lopez, a martial artist who is deaf and Native American.
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But also, we have learned, Echo will launch a new subcategory of Marvel fare, under the Marvel Spotlight banner.
At a Friday-night screening of the series’ first two episodes, held at The District at Choctaw Casinos & Resorts in Durant, Okla. as part of a larger Choctaw Day celebration, those on hand saw the episodes prefaced by the new Marvel Spotlight banner. The retro-style banner is accompanied by a musical fanfare composed by Michael Giacchino; watch it here.
The new categorization takes its name from an anthology comic book series first introduced by Marvel in 1971, to launch new characters with minimal buy-in from the reader.
As Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming Brad Winderbaum explained at the Friday screening, per Marvel.com, “Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case of Echo, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity.
“Just like comics fans didn’t need to read Avengers or Fantastic Four to enjoy a Ghost Rider Spotlight comic,” he added, “our audience doesn’t need to have seen other Marvel series to understand what’s happening in Maya’s story.”
The question on my and maybe your mind now is: Since Kingpin plays a large role in Echo, and Daredevil also appears, does that mean Daredevil: Born Again will also be an Marvel Spotlight offering? Discuss!
Releasing all five episodes Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 on both Disney+ and Hulu, Echo follows Maya Lopez (Hawkeye‘s Alaqua Cox) as she is pursued by Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) criminal empire. “When the journey brings her home, she must confront her own family and legacy,” the synopsis adds
The series also stars Chaske Spencer (Blindspot), Tantoo Cardinal (Stumptown), Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs), Cody Lightning (Smoke Signals), Graham Greene (Longmire) and Zahn McClarnon (Dark Winds), who is back as Maya’s father William. Plus, Charlie Cox’s Daredevil will reportedly appear in the series.
Want scoop on Echo, or for any other Marvel TV show ? Email InsideLine@tvline.com, and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!
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