Marvel Making Critical Change To Upcoming Superhero’s Powers In The MCU
Marvel has unveiled its latest trailer for the upcoming Disney+ series Echo, which is set to star Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, to rave reviews from fans. Some eagle-eyed Marvel fans were quick to point out however that the Sydney Freeland-helmed series appears to have made a few changes from the comic book character, which is par for the course when translating comics to the big screen. According to a write-up in Variety, Freeland has adjusted the Daredevil side character’s powers and abilities in a significant upgrade to her ink and color counterpart.
Marvel Is Changing Echo’s Superpowers
While Echo’s new powers are being kept under wraps at this time, showrunner Sydney Freeland claims that this change has been made due to the character’s powers being a bit underwhelming in the Marvel comics. In the comics, Maya Lopez is able to replicate, or echo, any power she sees using photographic reflexes. While this skill seemed perfectly suitable for the character of Taskmaster in the 2021 Marvel outing Black Widow, it doesn’t thrill Freeland, leaving her to plainly state that Echo’s powers in the show will be based on something else entirely.
Echo’s Comic Powers Were Left Out Of The Hawkeye Series
This should come as no surprise to MCU super-fans, as Alaqua Cox’s Echo has already made her Marvel debut in the limited series Hawkeye, with her copycat powers nowhere to be seen. Just like in the comics, Echo is shown to be heading her own crime syndicate under the watchful umbrella of her adoptive father, The Kingpin, though her final moments in the series saw her learning the horrible truth about her biological father’s murder, and shooting The Kingpin at point blank range.
Echo’s Powers Will Somehow Tie Into Her Native American Ancestry
In addition to updating Echo’s powers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sydney Freeland has also chosen to hone in on the character’s cultural background, in order to highlight and represent Native American identities on the big screen. What little we do know about Maya Lopez’ new abilities seem to tie directly back to her ancestral heritage, with Freeland stating that her abilities are manifested through her Choctaw roots.
This move was apparently made to represent real and genuine Native heritage within the MCU, in place of the comic book character’s fictional Native background, which seems to be a swirling blend of many different Native cultures Frankensteined together.
The Echo Series Has Approval From The Chowtaw Nation
This has been telegraphed behind the scenes of the series, as Freeland is of Navajo descent, while Echo lead Alaqua Cox is a Mohican Native from the Menominee Nation. Before beginning production on the Marvel series, Freeland even began a direct dialogue with Choctaw leaders in order to ensure that the character is handled with the utmost grace and respect for the culture’s traditions.
Echo Debuts On Disney+ January 10, 2024
While the production of Echo has experienced a number of issues behind the scenes, it does seem to be shaping up as one of the most anticipated Marvel outings currently slated. With the promise of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin and Charlie Cox‘ Daredevil crossing paths in the limited series, fans have started to become incredibly hyped for the upcoming release. Echo is currently slated to arrive on Disney+ on January 10, 2024.
