I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Marvel’s Echo, which is currently streaming on Disney+. This darker, more-violent-than-your-typical MCU entry feels very similar to the tone of the now-defunct Marvel Netflix universe. And it works for me.
The standouts
Alaqua Cox is fantastic in the titular role (Echo/Maya Lopez). Her non-verbal acting is on point, especially her stare. She has a soul-piercing look when she’s ready to fight, listening intently to a family member or when seeing a “ghost.”
Chaske Spencer as Henry “Black Crow” Lopez stands out. He’s Maya’s oft-conflicted uncle. Like Maya and her deceased father William, he has a dark past that he’s trying to leave behind.
But it’s ultimately futile. After he reconnects with Maya upon her return home to Oklahoma, he’s reeled back in for better (he’s closer to his niece) and worse (he’s now on the aforementioned “ghost’s” sh*t list).
Other stuff I liked
I really enjoyed how they dug into the Choctaw history as well as injected some fantastical elements with ties to Native American animism. Although the show is mostly grounded, it works for me.
Lastly, I am very happy that the show honors and acknowledges the Marvel Netflix shows by maintaining themes and characters originally established there. Given Kevin Feige’s tremendous ascension at Marvel and former Netflix show runner Joseph Loeb departure at the same time, it is nice to see that it didn’t lead to the exclusion of the Netflix universe’s IP altogether.
The verdict
On a five-star scale, I gave Echo a solid four ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. It is one of the MCU’s better productions on Disney+ in quite some time, this side of Loki, Season 2 of course.
