Echo's Incredibly Violent New Trailer (And Hulu Release) Suggest A Very Different Path Forward For Marvel
Does "Echo" mark the dawn of a new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? I know, I know. If it feels like we've been down this road before with several of the studio's recent productions, all of which initially seemed capable of taking what many once considered to be an unsinkable ship and plugging some of the holes that have sprung up with alarming regularity, that's because we have. By now, the damage done by divisive reactions to projects like "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," "Secret Invasion," and more have put Kevin Feige and his leadership team in as unenviable a position as they've ever experienced. But with so much uncertainty, skepticism, and maybe even desperation setting in for Marvel Studios, the debut of our first real look at "Echo" feels all the more intriguing.
The surprisingly violent trailer footage appears to have caught everyone by surprise, promising a tone and storytelling approach more comparable to Netflix's gritty, blood-soaked "Daredevil" than most fans could've expected. But that's only scratching the surface of what this series, spun off from actor Alaqua Cox's performance as Maya Lopez in "Hawkeye," could represent in the grand scheme of things. Already, those involved have indicated that the rare TV-MA rating teases that this is "...sort of a new direction for the brand, especially for Disney+," as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Then there's the show's simultaneous release on Hulu, a potential sign of things to come following Disney's official takeover of the former NBCUniversal streamer. Between the shared universe possibilities (you did spot Charlie Cox's Daredevil in the trailer, didn't you?) and the business implications hanging over its head, a lot more could be riding on its success than fans could've ever anticipated.
Here's how "Echo" could shake up this apple cart.
Is Disney+ entering its Netflix era?
Of the many overlapping narratives currently swallowing up the MCU, one of the most interesting has to do with how the studio officially (re)integrates street-level heroes and villains like Daredevil, Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio), and Frank Castle/the Punisher (Joe Bernthal) into the MCU proper. It's become increasingly clear that, despite some references here and there, the various Marvel Netflix shows have gone the way of the "Star Wars" Expanded Universe. Though this may alienate viewers who hoped to see the MCU continue the events told in "Daredevil," "The Punisher," and "Jessica Jones" (the less said about "Iron Fist" or "The Defenders," the better), this allows Feige's expanding stable of Disney+ shows to be free of confining and possibly contradictory canon. But even beyond the lore of it all, fans have continued to wonder: Will the official MCU approach to these characters let them remain as violent, uncompromising, and vulnerable as they were before?
The early returns on "Echo" seem to point towards a resounding yes. Sure, we all remember the backlash in some corners when D'Onofrio's Kingpin appeared in "Hawkeye" with a cabana shirt and a distinct lack of the sociopathic tendencies fans remembered from "Daredevil." Here, however, it's a very different story. Not only does the trailer open with Fisk putting a vicious beatdown on some jerk who wouldn't give young Maya Lopez some ice cream, but it plays up a grown-up Maya's fear that her vigilante ways are leading her to become exactly as unhinged as her crime-boss uncle. Should "Echo" actually commit to this dark and morally grey character arc, we might just be in for a more adult-minded approach than Marvel typically chooses.
Naturally, the simultaneous Hulu release for "Echo" adds even more fuel to the fire.
Testing the waters
"Echo" is a multi-faceted experiment in the making. That might seem like incredibly unfair pressure to put on a C-tier character — Marvel Studios' first deaf and Native American one in live-action, at that — which most general audiences probably haven't even heard of before. (Last we heard, the viewership ratings on "Hawkeye" weren't all that high to begin with.) But considering the dire straits Marvel has found itself in lately and the gambit of this relatively unprecedented release, there's little doubt that those in charge are keeping a close eye on how "Echo" is received, both critically and in terms of streaming performance.
The simultaneous Hulu/Disney+ release suggests a few notable insights into Marvel's thought process here. First and foremost, plastering the marketing with disclaimers that viewers need to "Set your Disney+ profile to TV-MA to stream" comes across like a humblebrag and (as the kids say) a flex. This ain't your typical kiddie s***, the studio might as well be screaming through a bullhorn. Having seen the success of much more adult-oriented superhero media like "The Batman," "Joker," and even 20th Century Studios' "Deadpool," it was only a matter of time before Marvel finally dipped its toes in the deeper end of the swimming pool. Secondly, making "Echo" available on Hulu could be the studio's preferred way to "preserve the brand" of Disney+ as a family-friendly destination, while still having its cake and eating it, too. If Hulu and Disney+ aren't eventually going to be combined into one mega-streamer Stateside, as many have suspected (and the jury is still out on that), then maybe "Daredevil: Born Again" and other darker, more violent shows will follow a similar release pattern.
Against all odds, "Echo" may dictate much of the MCU's direction moving forward.