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Echo, the much-awaited Maya Lopez series, has been granted a TV-MA rating. This is the first instance of Marvel Studios’ content getting a mature rating.
The first series under the new Marvel Spotlight Banner, belongs to MCU Phase 5. The spinoff of Hawkeye is the tenth series in MCU. The series is set to arrive on January 9, 2024, on both Disney+ and Hulu.
The five-episode series also presents Daredevil in the plot, proving that both Matt Murdoch and Maya Lopez are canon. Moreover, this is the first Marvel series to drop all five episodes simultaneously.
Keeping the protagonist’s Native American background, the series will also have a dubbed version in the Choctaw language.
Echo receives a TV-MA rating
While Maya Lopez’s debut in Hawkeye was a TV-14-rated show, her standalone series, Echo, received a TV-MA rating, a first for Marvel Studios.
The rating means the content of the show is judged inappropriate for children under the age of 17. The rating is based on the language used and violence portrayed in the show.
While Marvel Television has produced shows with mature ratings like The Punisher, The Defenders, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage, this is the first time Marvel Studios has come out with what's considered mature content.
With this series, the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk is coming back, and Maya’s involvement in his criminal territory coupled with her violent past seems to have pushed the Marvel series into this category.
The promo video titled Hurt, focusing on Wilson Fisk has the warning text – “Viewers Discretion Advised”.
Executive producer Brad Winderbaum explains the mature rating
One of the co-executive producers for the series, Brad Winderbaum spoke to ComicBook’s podcast, Phase Zero about the series' rating. He said that the show is aimed at presenting Maya Lopez and her journey. The studio did not intend the series to have a mature rating.
However, as the story of Maya progressed with her violent past and grey morality, the story took its own turn. In November, Winderbaum presented the first footage of the show to the press, mentioning that it was going to be a new direction of the brand under Disney+.
At the time, he had claimed Echo to be grittier, showcasing the breadth Marvel was capable of.
Director Sydney Freeland believes while Maya is a villain belonging to the “Defenders-verse” like Daredevil, the gore and deaths lead to street-level affair and not world-ending stakes.
The production team describes Maya as a vulnerable character with bottled-up rage and emotion within her waiting for a nudge to spill out. As Freeland puts it:
“Echo is an exploration of trauma – how we deal with it, how we cope with it, how it affects us, how we affect it, how it affects those around us.”
What is Echo all about?
This is another character-driven story from the MCU based on Hawkeye’s villain, Maya Lopez, a deaf Native American. The official synopsis reads:
“The origin story of Echo revisits Maya Lopez, whose ruthless behavior in New York City catches up with her in her hometown. She must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots, and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward.”
The series stars Alaqua Cox in the titular role, with Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk. Other actors in the series are Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Cody Lightning, Zahn McClarnon, Graham Greene and Charlie Cox.
Look out for Echo arriving on Disney+ and Hulu on January 9, 2024.
