Echo is one of many upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe productions, with the show being released on Disney+. Spinning off from 2021's Hawkeye, the series will focus on the titular Maya Lopez. There's still not much known about the show, but the rumors about what's coming aren't exactly enticing.

Early speculation is that magic and the supernatural will play a role in Echo. This is hugely disappointing for those looking forward to a more down-to-Earth, street-level experience. It also cements that Marvel Studios struggles with such a scope, which doesn't bode well for the upcoming Daredevil revival. Here's how Echo may be ruining its potential.

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Why Is Marvel's Echo Show Supernatural?

Echo

According to early reports/speculation, the Echo series on Disney+ will be following in the footsteps of Moon Knight. What this means is that there will likely be a heavy presence of supernatural and mystical elements. There's absolutely no precedent for this, as Echo, who debuted in the pages of Daredevil, has always been a non-mystical, street-level character. Sure, she was once bonded to the Phoenix Force, but this was years after her introduction and had nothing to do with Maya's character. Thus, any supernatural elements in the series will be completely fabricated for the sake of the show.

These magical concepts are supposedly tied to Maya's Native American ancestry, which actually feels incredibly offensive. As mentioned, nothing about her in the comics had anything to do with mysticism, so connecting her to it by way of her ethnicity reeks of Hollywood's history of romanticizing First Nations spirituality. Keep in mind that an Echo series has been highly debated among the MCU fandom, not due to interest. Many have questioned why the show exists, and much like with the upcoming show based around Agatha Harkness, there would seem to be far more deserving characters to give shows to. If the showrunners had to "create" narrative elements in order to justify said series, it only makes its existence even more head-scratching.

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Marvel Studios Needs to Buck Up and Make a Gritty Series

The titular Moon Knight in the Disney+ series

The worst part of the reports of mysticism in Echo is that it confirms what many fans have already believed. Audiences have questioned just how far Marvel Studios will go in terms of mature content or simply something that's gritty and outside their usually colorful wheelhouse. This has definitely become a necessity, as audiences are tired of the over-the-top and comedic shtick of the MCU, namely the shows and movies in Phase 4. Daredevil is returning in another show called Daredevil: Born Again, and some worry that Marvel Studios will not be able to do justice to the gritty nature of the Netflix original.

Outside of a blind lawyer with super senses, the show was known for how hard-hitting and street-level its scope was. As the MCU became more outlandish via dancing baby trees and talking raccoons, Daredevil offered a more insular, small-scale series that especially appealed to older audiences. It, too, had mystical elements via The Hand, but their presence in Season 2 was seen as the worst part of a season that included the far more interesting Punisher. If Marvel Studios can't help but saddle Echo with unnecessary supernatural elements, they'll likely do something similar with Daredevil: Born Again just to make it fit in with everything else on Disney+. Both Daredevil and Kingpin will probably be treated similarly when they show up in the series.

Let's also remember that other Marvel Studios content that should've been street-level, namely Black Widow and Shang-Chi, were both anything but. Moon Knight was focused on a supernatural yet street-level character, though it mainly erred on the side of the former, usually with horrendous CGI to boot. Even Hawkeye felt like a blockbuster movie split across several episodes, failing to feel like a small-scale character study at times. These shows all left holes that Echo could have easily filled, but sadly, that might not come to pass.