‘Echo’ Director Says Marvel’s Series Fully Embraces The Violence But She’s Most Proud Of The “Emotional” Aspect

Honestly, it feels as if “Echo” isn’t getting as much marketing love as Marvel Studios projects typically do. Perhaps that’s because the series marks the first TV-MA project for the studio and is part of the Marvel Spotlight banner, which makes it not as dependent on MCU continuity. Regardless, there’s something different happening with “Echo,” and that extends to the content in the series as well, which is supposedly going to be more brutal than the typical Marvel story. But that doesn’t mean the show lacks heart.

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In a new interview with EW, promoting the upcoming release of “Echo,” director and producer Sydney Freeland talked about the mature aspect of the series and how it translates to some brutal action on screen. But she is also quick to point out the series has a ton of emotion and heart, which might be what Freeland is “most proud of.”

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“Because we’re dealing with a story that is more street-level, it is a little more grounded and a little more visceral,” Freeland said. “We’re leaning into the TV-MA aspect of it.”

She added, “As we progressed through the production, I had the chance to say, ‘Okay so what if this guy gets his head smashed onto the table, and actually loses a couple of teeth?’ That’s the character and that’s the world: She’s a criminal and she’s a villain, she’s killing people. And the response was, ‘Yeah, let’s try it!’” 

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For those who missed “Hawkeye,” which is where the character of Echo (played wonderfully by Alaqua Cox) is introduced, then you probably are confused about what this series is about. “Echo” follows the title character as she figures out her place in the world after learning her surrogate father, Wilson fisk (aka Kingpin), is actually a fairly terrible person and someone she shouldn’t be associated with. You probably can see how this might differ from your typical MCU story. Where’s the multiverse mentioned in this description? Will the Avengers show up? No, this is something very different.

This is being promoted as a show that is very much a small-scale crime story with Cox in the lead. Interestingly, Cox made her acting debut in “Hawkeye,” and she’s already earned her own series. And that’s not something that is lost on Freeland.

“I’m so excited for people to see what she can do,” Freeland said. “Yes, we’ve got fight sequences, but one of the things I’m most proud of from this series is how emotional it is. Alaqua is just the beating heart of this show.”

“Echo” debuts on Disney+ and Hulu on January 9.