Spoilers for Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home lie ahead.
Disney+’s Hawkeye finally thrust Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton into the spotlight, while ushering in a new hero in the form of Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop. But aside from the two archers, the series also featured another character who’s set to take on a larger role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Maya Lopez/Echo, played by newcomer Alaqua Cox, is getting her own spinoff series. Marvel Studios has remained mum on exact details regarding the show, though reports have begun to circulate. Now, a new rumor suggests that the series is adding some behind-the-scenes talent from Netflix’s Daredevil and The Punisher.
Marvel’s Echo has allegedly tapped two Marvel-Netflix scribes to its writers’ room. According to The Illuminerdi, Dara Resnik and Ken Kristensen are the two who have entered the MCU production. Resnik penned two episodes of Daredevil during its third season, while Kristensen wrote three episodes during The Punisher’s two-season run. Should the news be genuine, it would mean that the pair would be working alongside the show’s head writer, Marion Dayre. Even though the news has yet to be explicitly confirmed, the pick-ups would actually make a lot of sense.
In the comics, Maya Lopez has crossed paths with a number of key people, including Wilson Fisk a.k.a The Kingpin. She’s also met (and come to blows with) the crime lord’s archnemesis, Matt Murdock. Hawkeye established Lopez’s connection to Vincent D’Onofrio’s Fisk, as he became somewhat of a father figure to her following the death of her dad. Elsewhere, Murdock (played by the returning Charlie Cox) also made his way to the mainstream MCU via Spider-Man: No Way Home, and chances are he’ll be suiting up as his alter ego sometime soon.
With Echo’s proximity to the iconic comic book staples, it wouldn’t be crazy to think that at least one, or both, are slated to appear on the upcoming show. One would also think that the creatives at Marvel Studios would want to keep the characters consistent. So one would think that bringing in writers from the Netflix world would help with Fisk and Murdock’s reintroductions. Sure, Vincent D’Onofrio has stated that he’s playing the exact same person but, then again, at least one major change has been made to his characterization. So all in all, having some familiar writers should help to balance things out.
The Hawkeye series finale ended with Maya Lopez forsaking her role as a member of the Tracksuit Mafia, after learning that Wilson Fisk actually arranged her father’s murder at the Ronin’s hands. Near the end of the episode, Maya held Fisk at gunpoint, as Fisk tried to appeal to the young woman. As the camera moved off the two, a gunshot could be heard, though many are skeptical about the idea that the Kingpin is actually dead.
But aside from any potential Daredevil characters, Echo is sure to be a solid showcase for its lead hero. It’s safe to assume that viewers will see her come into her own and become the hero comic book fans have come to know. There’s also a firm chance the show will explore a bit more of her backstory, especially when it comes to the relationship between her and her father.
It’ll likely be a while before any official Echo news is released to the public and, based on Marvel’s jam-packed TV and movie, it’s hard to say when it might be released. But in the meantime, it’ll be fun to speculate on what lies in store, especially if the show has recruited the Netflix alums. While you wait, you can also get a better sense of the character by streaming Hawkeye in its entirety now.
