Marvel Studios, as of recently, has been on a slow decline. Several of their projects from 2023 fell flat with audiences on the big and little screen. The second and final season of their Disney+ show, Loki, has been the exception to the rule, but the once powerhouse studio is still trying to turn out hits. Their latest production, Echo, is a spin-off that has been in the works since November 2021, and Marvel is hoping to have success on their hands. The show, starring Alaqua Cox, has the potential to lean back into that grittiness realism the MCU is looking for but stumbles a bit along the way.
The show Echo, helmed by Marion Dayre, sees the return of Cox’s character, Maya Lopez, whom they introduced to the audience in 2021’s Hawkeye. Maya is on the run after Hawkeye‘s events, where she finds herself in her hometown. While there, she tries dismantling the crime organization that is part of Wilson Fisk’s syndicate and won’t stop until it’s burned to the ground. And yes, we see the return of Vincent D’Onofrio as the character in all his glory.
One thing that should be noted about the show is that it leans into Maya’s culture, family, and lore within their community. The subject of “spirituality” runs along with Echo‘s themes that are becoming more explored within the MCU. That topic helps the series stand out and gives the main character and the world in which this show is set a level of complexity. For example, the nuance of Maya is built when the series showcases her Native American roots and stories of sacrifice and heroism.
It’s a great case of “show, not tell” and allowed the mysticism of the series to be easily digested.
The writing for Echo ranges from good to close to great at times. The first episode starts strong with an even-paced recap of who Maya is and the importance of her MCU character. The series expertly utilizes its first thirty minutes to reintroduce me to this world and the street-level events of the MCU. Consequently, there’s a perfect blend of Maya’s character background while setting the table for what’s coming from the series. What helps ease this notion is the well-thought direction of the action in Echo.
The team behind the show realized that they needed to keep the audience’s attention for this show and did it well with several action set pieces. Episode one features the return of a well-known vigilante superhero, which was great and brought me back to the glory days of past Netflix Marvel shows. It features an impressive choreographed single-take fight scene and showcases Cox’s skill as an action star. However, Echo is far from perfect.
Acting across the board is decent. The cast features Devery Jacobs, Zahn McClarnon, and Chaske Spencer, who do a serviceable job. D’Onofrio is as excellent as Fisk, but Cox is the weakest link. She tries to convey the character’s inner thoughts and emotions, but it doesn’t always work out. Some of her performances come as stiff and can sometimes drag the scene down.
It’s like the rest of the cast is trying their best to carry her along, but it’s noticeable throughout the show. It creates a severe dent in the show’s quality when the lead actor can’t hold their own. Sadly, the issues don’t stop there.
The cinematography works for most of Echo, but certain scenes don’t. An example is a night action set piece that would look great if the people behind the scenes had a chance to heighten the quality. It comes off as cheap and would’ve worked better if the VFX team had more time. It took me out of the whole scene because it looked so bad. Variations of this misstep are sprinkled here and there throughout Echo, showcasing Marvel’s troubled history with VFX productions.
Echo is the gritty superhero show Marvel Studio needs. Moon Knight dipped its toe into that pool for a bit, and we’re a long way away from Daredevil’s return. The show is a solid watch and helps remove some of the stinks of other recent MCU series. Echo‘s action is well done, but the lead’s acting is one of the show’s biggest downfalls. Alaqua Cox as May Lopez has real potential, and hopefully, that’ll amount to a long run with Marvel Studios.