Echo is Marvel Studios’ first entry of 2024. The Disney Plus show focuses on Maya Lopez, adopted daughter of the Kingpin. The character had made her MCU debut with the Hawkeye series. Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, John Bernthal’s Punisher and many other street-level superheroes are all set to appear in the show as Marvel has officially cannoned all the Marvel Netflix shows. Echo is also the first Marvel production with a TV-MA rating, basically a “R” rating for television. It’s good to see Marvel finally stepping out of their comfort zone and embracing new ideas. Despite Marvel’s mediocre run in 2023, there is decent hype for Echo as a leaked fight sequence between Echo and Daredevil reminded fans of the Netflix Daredevil days. So, is Echo worth the hype? Or is it just another unnecessary Marvel show? Let’s hear the critics.
Marvel’s Echo Reviews: Critics Are Divided!
Marvel’s Echo seems to have divided critics. On one side, there are those who call it Marvel’s best show since WandaVision while others consider it a snoozefest that hides behind its violence to cover up the lack of a compelling narrative. Echo has debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with 64% from eleven reviews. I’m assuming this score will go up as all the reviews haven’t been uploaded on Rotten Tomatoes yet. Check out all the reviews below:
Austin Burke (Austin Burke/Flick Fan Nation) – “Echo is a bit of a mixed bag. The attempt at fleshing out her heritage works well, and one action sequence is incredible, but the story is a bit unfocused. The editing is choppy, and the plot just isn’t super interesting.”
Nick Schager (The Daily Beast) – “A third-rate snoozer that further waters down the once-mighty Marvel brand.”
Rodrigo Perez (The Playlist) – ““Echo” is ultimately a series about how the legacy of violence corrodes the soul, but it never knows how to heal or enrich it either, content to just land another bloody blow to the head instead.” Original Score: D+
Adam Barnhardt (ComicBook.com) – “This show belongs to Maya Lopez and Alaqua Cox, and both of them are newfound superstars. It’s a Marvel show disguised as a television drama, with just enough action set pieces to remind you it’s a piece of comic book cinema.” Original Score: 4.5/5
Cassondra Feltus (Black Girl Nerds) – “In ‘Echo’, Alaqua Cox delivers another beautifully nuanced performance as Maya Lopez, a culturally rich, badass villain whose perceived disabilities are her superpowers.” Original Score: 4.5/5
Charles Pulliam-Moore (The Verge) – “While there’s been some concern about what a more graphic Marvel might look like following Daredevil’s brief appearance on She-Hulk, Echo feels like a solid sign that the studio knows precisely what it’s doing here.”
Tessa Smith (Mama’s Geeky) – “Echo is best when it’s a ground level mafia show, not a Marvel show. It’s got epic action sequences but suffers from pacing issues.” Original Score: 3/5
Andrew Parker (The Gate) – “Blisteringly paced and presented in a pleasingly “back to basics” style, the five episode arc of Echo is all killer and no filler.” Original Score: 8/10
Chase Hutchinson (Collider) – “When built around the more natural little details that remain free from the trappings of the shambling MCU, Echo leaps into action. Given that the rest of the franchise feels like dead weight, what this series achieves is made that much more promising.” Original Score: 8/10
Allison Rose (FlickDirect) – “Originally an eight-episode series, ‘Echo’ was reduced to five episodes and reshot after Marvel President Kevin Feige found the show ‘unreleasable’.” Original Score: 2.5/5
Julian Lytle (Geek Girl Riot) – “As of right now, I feel Echo is alright, but not a show to suddenly change the recent feelings about the MCU.” Original Score: C
Molly Freeman (Screen Rant) – “MCU’s first 2024 show feels like a grand return to Marvel TV’s Netflix era” Original Score: 3.5/5
Sam Stone (CBR) – “Echo defies expectations as Marvel Studios’ most drama-driven show yet” Original Score: 7/10
Marvel’s Echo will premiere on Disney+ today i.e., January 10th, 2024.
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