The first trailer for Marvel Studios' Echo has finally arrived – and, somewhat surprisingly, it'll be the first R-rated series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Echo's first teaser, which you can watch below, doesn't just confirm that the Disney Plus show will carry a TV-MA rating in the US and an 18-plus one worldwide. Indeed, it also reveals that the Hawkeye spin-off will launch on January 10, 2024 instead of its previously anticipated November 29, 2023 release date. Oh, and it's coming to Disney Plus and Hulu stateside, so fans will be able to stream the show on either of the Disney-owned streaming platforms.
This isn't the first time that Marvel has dabbled in the adult audience space. Doctor Strange 2 contained some scenes that younger viewers might have found scary, while Moon Knight's Disney Plus debut strayed into gratuitously violent and horror territory. Even Loki season 2 has shades of dread-inducing horror running through it.
Marvel's Echo, though, will be the very first MCU project to carry an age rating confirming it'll be unsuitable for kids. Indeed, as the trailer shows, it'll be full of ultraviolent moments, with lots of blood, various people getting shot – particularly in the head – and the occasional neck-breaking and face pummelling from the show's titular character and her surrogate uncle Wilson Fisk/Kingpin.
Elsewhere, viewers hoping to see a Daredevil (Charlie Cox) cameo in the trailer – the Man Without Fear has strong ties to Echo and Kingpin in the comics, as well as the latter in Netflix's Daredevil TV series – will be delighted to see him appear. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment at the 1:27 mark, but Daredevil's red and dark yellow suit, which we previously saw in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, is visible during this very brief clip as Echo throws him over a table.
Echo's unexpectedly violent tone is also a good sign for Daredevil's own MCU TV series. Fans had been concerned that, given Marvel's desire to appeal to an audiences of all ages, the Marvel Phase 5 show – titled Daredevil: Born Again – wouldn't be fully R-rated. However, Echo shows Marvel won't hold back when it believes one of its projects needs to be more adult-oriented than what's come before. That, alongside Born Again's new head showrunner and directors, has certainly restored our faith in Daredevil's forthcoming series.
Check out this brand-new poster for Marvel Studios' #Echo, a new Original series with all episodes streaming January 10 on @DisneyPlus & @Hulu.All episodes will be available on Hulu until April 9. pic.twitter.com/x2CaCQrBrZNovember 3, 2023
For anyone wanting a brief rundown on what Echo is about, here's a very brief story synopsis from Disney and Marvel: "The five-episode streaming event spotlights Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) as she is pursued by Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) criminal empire. When the journey brings her home, she must confront her own family and legacy."
Unusually for a Marvel TV show, Echo is getting a Netflix-style release, which means all five of its episodes will land on Disney Plus and Hulu – two of the world's best streaming services – in early January. Additionally, Disney and Marvel have confirmed they'll only be watchable on Hulu until April 9, so Hulu subscribers will only have three months to check it out.
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