Hawkeye star Alaqua Cox confirmed that principal photography has commenced on the spinoff series Echo.
Cox, who plays the show's protagonist Maya Lopez, posted a picture on Instagram of flowers she received from Reservation Dogs actor Devery Jacobs, who wished her the best for the first day of filming on 21 April. Aside from providing a concrete start date for shooting on Echo, the post (in particular, a card attached to the bouquet) has also fueled speculation that Jacobs is part of the Disney+ series' cast. Jacobs' involvement with Echo is purely speculation at this stage.
While this recent update confirms that the production is starting to gain momentum, Marvel Studios and Disney+ have remained largely tight-lipped about Echo. Little is known about the plot of the series, although Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige previously divulged that Echo will pick up immediately after Hawkeye. "[T]he Echo series will be -- we see Maya Lopez go from the end of this series into that series will be the next direct link," Feige explained.
Filming permit applications filed by Echo's location manager Ryan Schaetzle also confirmed that the show won't share Hawkeye's New York City setting. These applications were made to two small towns in Georgia, Grantville and Social Circle, and were ultimately successful. Echo will film in Social Circle in April and Grantville in May, with the scenes involved said to be devoid of "explosions, gunfire, or big stunts."
Arguably the biggest news surrounding Echo is a recent leak that allegedly spoils the inclusion of two major MCU characters in the series. The resume for the show's costume designer Stacy Caballero appears to have unwittingly revealed that both Daredevil and Kingpin will return in Echo, even though actors Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio are not officially attached to the production.
Cox last appeared as Daredevil's alter-ego Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home, while D'Onofrio reprised the role of Wilson Fisk/Kingpin in several episodes of Hawkeye. The pair originated these roles in the Daredevil series that originally aired on Netflix and now streams on Disney+ alongside the other entries in the so-called "Defenders Saga." One of the writers on Echo, Dara Resnik, penned two episodes of Daredevil Season 3, further stoking speculation that the Man Without Fear and his arch-enemy will appear in the upcoming series.
Echo does not yet have a release date.
Source: Instagram, via Reddit