Confirmed, postponed, at risk of cancellation and finally made official for autumn 2023: Echo is a unique case so far in the MCU streaming / serial panorama, even considering the release favorable to binge watching. We talk about it in our in-depth analysis.
The success of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 marks a good return on track for Marvel Studios. Of course, James Gunn’s cinecomic represents the end of a saga conceived in a totally autonomous way, that is completely disconnected from the current continuity of the MCU and from the speech on the Multiverse carried out for two years now, but the flag that flies is always that Marvel. Not all is well yet, however. In Kevin Feige’s reign there are problems and insecurity, in fact, first of all the situation linked to the media and legal squabbles of Jonathan Majors on which King Midas of the House of Wonders has not yet expressed his opinion, yet the proceeds that rise at the box office and happy fans again do the company a lot of good, which in fact has decided to settle the issue relating to the release of the shows in a propitious moment Disney+.
As previously revealed, for 2023 only two Marvel-branded series were expected on the platform: Secret Invasionwhich will arrive in streaming on June 21st, and the second season of Loki. Finally revealing the official release date of Loki 2, however, the company surprisingly announced the unexpected arrival of Echo, spin-off di Hawkeye dedicated to the character of Maya Lopez who was thought to be postponed to 2024 and actually more problematic than expected. His anticipated arrival does not translate into optimism across the board, however, especially since the event brings with it a very large novelty for the Marvel Studios seriality: il binge watching.
Wall, delay, reception
Curious how Echo has followed in its production and distribution process the same physics that explains the acoustic phenomenon from which it takes its name. The Echo is feminine because it represents the reflection of a sound against an obstacle with the subsequent return of the sound waves to the listener, who will receive them more or less unchanged but with a certain delay. And the path of the show starring Alaqua Cox in the role of the titular heroine he could not have been more precise and indicative, considering the initial enthusiasm (scream), the postponements related to presumed qualitative and post-production gaps (obstacle) and finally the autumn arrival with amazement (delayed reception) . Were it only a mere coincidence, a promotional campaign could be organized around it. The important thing, however, is that the series has found a way to arrive and resolve – at least hopefully – all the difficulties it apparently suffered from. It is also important to remember the socio-inclusive dimension of the show dedicated to Lopez, a rare example of a superheroine of Native American origins and one of the very few that can be listed in the deaf-mute minority together with Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari seen in Eternals.
Given the context of the MCU Phase 4 and a difficult evolution of projects and continuity, the risks to which the series has been subject for some time have not fueled worrying fuss except a dense cloud of uncertainty related to its development and release. One can easily think that, in context, the project was not one of the company’s most awaited and at the same time leading, and this despite the confirmed presence of Charlie Cox as Daredevil and the return of Vincent D’Onofrio in those of Kingpin, who in the economy of the story is a sort of godfather of Lopez. Seen and considered, however, the family affairs at stake (as the famous run by Mark Weid also states) and a significant advance of the highly anticipated Daredevil Born Again, net of a full-blown distrust of the Marvel main audience towards the character and the product, for Kevin Feige and associates Echo it was sold and distributed in a different way than usual, as a cross between a normal weekly streaming show and a Marvel Special Eventultimately leading to an interesting but perhaps temporary change of strategy.
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By trial and error
It was from the time of the Marvel Television that we haven’t seen a branded series arrive streaming ready for binge watching, with all episodes available since the first day of release. For Echo, 6 total episodes have been confirmed with a probable duration between 30 and 50 minutes each, which makes the idea of publishing the series in a single solution on November 29th objectively sensible, focusing everything on the compression of the product in “miniseries” and projecting winning viewing results over a short period, especially in pure terms of active engagement. Unlike a second season of Loki which could – as it probably will – bring back old subscribers to Disney+ and generate new subscribers together, either for the continuation of the story itself, or for the continuity link with Phase 5, Echo she has a different destiny to fulfill and goals of this kind are not asked of her. Considering the negligible and secondary dimension of the character and the fluctuating trend of the public’s endorsement and consensus regarding Marvel serial productions in the last stage of Phase 4, the strategy adopted for Echo it could be a winning and optimal solution for diversifying the planning of the MCU on the small screen.
Basically, an attempt to expand the production and distribution horizon to optimize time and resources without sacrificing quality. With Special Events like Werewolf o Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special we have seen a good way to develop inventive and creatively free medium-length films with excellent visual impact, while with the unique solution of serial release one could start thinking of in-depth miniseries dedicated to lesser-known characters and that the market does not want on the big screen or in a ongoing series from significant investments. It is not clear whether it will be a one-off choice or a way to experiment with it, but thus Marvel Studios has managed to insert a third series in the catalog in 2023, occupying the space of the American thanksgiving and ensuring post-Loki 2 streaming coverage also for the Christmas holidays. The success or otherwise of the option will decide its future.
