‘Echo’: Is It MCU Canon? How Does It Fit in the Timeline?

‘Echo’ series recently released its first trailer, and despite generating little interest from the fans, now that we’ve witnessed heart-pounding action, I gotta say we’re sold on it. One additional announcement made things interesting, ‘Echo’ series will be the first Marvel-based series released under the ‘Marvel Spotlight’ banner, meaning that you don’t have to have any prior knowledge of the character & the MCU in general. This led the fans to ask themselves whether the show is set within the MCU & canon in the first place, and while we’re at it, what kind of timeline that does it follow?

‘Echo’ will be quite the unconventional series as far as Disney+ releases go

At first, due to troubling production and multiple delays, Echo’s standalone show seemed forgotten, and like Marvel Studios didn’t care that much about the project after all. 

Numerous fans were wondering why Maya Lopez got to have her own show in the first place. It was in a state of limbo for a good time, with little news or even leaks surrounding it accessible to the public. Now, with the release of the first trailer and additional news. The new direction that MCU is heading toward is clear. 

First, Echo will be released under the ‘Marvel Spotlight’ banner, meaning that to watch the show, you don’t really have to have prior knowledge of the MCU or characters in general. 

One thing that became sort of a hassle for anyone interested in the MCU casually was that you have to watch like 30 movies and a gazillion mini-series to understand the show that you’re trying to watch at the moment. MCU is one large, interconnected cinematic Universe.

This is the fact that no one is trying to dispute, and it should stay that way, but if you’re just starting out with the MCU for whatever reason, you shouldn’t be forced to watch five movies with thin references to the latest project you’re currently watching in order to understand it fully. 

‘Echo’ is not the only series planned for ‘Marvel Spotlight’ release, with Alex P. claiming on X that the upcoming ‘Nova’ and ‘Ghostrider’ projects will likewise have the same premise. 

Second, ‘Echo’ will be the first MCU-related show on Disney+ with a TV-MA rating. I don’t know if you’ve seen the trailer, but it’s violent. There’s tons of action, and the main character is not exactly squeaky clean. Maya Lopez will not be your conventional villain-turned-anti-hero.

She serves as the villain for the majority of the Hawkeye series, and then it seemed like she would go for the usual antihero trope when she figured out the truth, but it seems like Echo’s journey in her own standalone show will depict her as “villain doing wrong things,” which is quite a change from MCU’s usual narrative. 

I mean, take the ‘Loki’ series for example. Loki is one of the most notable villains in the MCU, serving as the primary villain of the Avengers & Thor in several movies, and in his own standalone show, we’ve seen him take the path of redemption, forming close friendships, and even finding love. Don’t expect Echo to take that path. 

So, is ‘Echo’ series canon?

Despite the fact that ‘Echo’ will debut under ‘Marvel Spotlight’ it’s still canon to the MCU, serving as a spinoff of the ‘Hawkeye’ series, which is definitely canon. It will feature characters that already debuted in the MCU and characters (such as Daredevil) that are soon to debut in the MCU. There’s no reason to doubt Echo’s canon status despite the rating and unusual release. 

Where does ‘Echo’ fit into the MCU timeline?

‘Echo’ primarily takes place after the ‘Hawkeye’ series. Her path will be one of healing but also of vengeance. Considering that ‘Hawkeye’ series took place in December 2024 following the Blip, ‘Echo’ will be set sometime after that.

However, once again, we’re turning to X scoops for additional information, even though the majority of the series will take place post-Hawkeye; according to Charles Murphy, some parts of the show will take place during the Blip itself and even pre-Hawkeye. This doesn’t surprise us, considering that there seems to be a healthy dose of flashbacks in the show. 

Daredevil won’t be included in the show in the present timeline but will be featured in flashbacks after all. 

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