Most of Disney+ Day's Marvel announcements are bound to the cryptic "coming soon," but fans don't have to wait long for new MCU content.
Anticipation for Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye series is reaching a fever pitch, as the archer's solo project is set to arrive on streaming screens in just under two weeks. The show will follow Clint Barton and his new protégé, Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop, in a post-Avengers: Endgame New York City.
Details about the shenanigans that ensue remain close to the vest, but reports of both Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin making appearances open up Hawkeye's potential tenfold.
While Steinfeld's Bishop has received most of the new character spotlight, Alaqua Cox's Echo is not far behind. The deaf martial artist has yet to make her official MCU debut, but already has her own spin-off series in development. Echo's arrival is still over a week away, but Marvel is already showing she's a fierce match for both Barton and Bishop.
All (Hawk)Eyes on Daredevil Villain Echo
Season's beatings.
New footage of Hawkeye released on Disney+ Day showcased Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez in full force as she takes the fight to both Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton and Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop.
Lopez, better known as her anti-hero alias Echo, kicks off the new footage, literally. Echo lands numerous kicks on Barton inside what looks to be a warehouse of various toys, as evident by the trampoline and inflatable ball in the background.
Echo gets behind the wheel of what looks to be a 1972 Challenger, the same vehicle Barton passed on out of hesitation to break open the window of such a vintage car, in pursuit of her retreating foes.
Hand-to-hand combat can only get her so far. Echo, alongside Fra Fee's Kazi, fires shots from a pistol at Barton and Bishop, who flee by leaping off a bridge.
Kingpin's Comic Daughter - An Overwhelming Threat?
While Bishop is eager to respond to these gunshots with trick arrows of her own, Barton is acting much more defensive. This could be his Avenger veteran instincts kicking in, or he could feel genuinely overwhelmed by his new enemies. These enemies are led by Echo, a deaf martial artist who crosses paths with a number of famed street-level Marvel heroes on the page.
In the comics, Echo is the adopted daughter of Kingpin and a frequent adversary of Daredevil. There's no telling if her family history will factor into Hawkeye, but considering the long-running rumors of Vincent D'Onofrio's involvement as Kingpin, the stars seem to be aligning for Maya Lopez to be a major player going forward.
Her potential on-screen ties to Wilson Fisk and Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock will emphasize her importance within the MCU immediately, but Echo will make a name for herself on her own.
A self-titled spin-off series was also confirmed for Echo at Disney+ Day. While Marvel Studios has never been shy to spotlight their antagonists, history points to redemption arcs whenever a traditional bad guy gets their own project. If Echo follows in Loki's footsteps, fans could see this current villain turn face before Hawkeye concludes.
The Clown Prince of Hawkeye
Also shown within this new footage is a glimpse at Fra Fee's Kazi.
Kazi appears in a brown coat, firing a gun alongside Echo. The character's full face is visible in his costume, which is different than what his eventual alias sports. In the comics, Kazimierz Kazimierczak goes by the alias The Clown, painting his face like a mime as he carries out mercenary jobs. The Clown has a large role in Matt Fraction's comic run of Hawkeye, which is the very source material this series is inspired by.
He may only be a blink-and-miss-it part of this footage, but expect Kazi to be a major player in this six-episode series.
Hawkeye premieres on Disney+ with two episodes on November 24.
