Marvel Studios’ first trailer Echo has finally arrived – and, somewhat surprisingly, it will be the first R-rated series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
EchoThe first teaser for the series, which you can watch below, not only confirms that the Disney Plus show will have a TV-MA rating in the US and an 18+ rating worldwide. Indeed, it also appears that the Hawkeye spinoff will launch on January 10, 2024 instead of the previously expected release date of November 29, 2023. Oh, and it’s coming to Disney Plus and Hulu in the United States, so fans can stream the show on any of Disney’s streaming platforms.
This isn’t the first time Marvel has dabbled in the adult audience space. Doctor Strange 2 contained some scenes that younger viewers might find scary Moon Knight‘s Disney Plus debut veered into gratuitously violent and horror territory. Even Loki season 2 has shades of terrifying horror running through it.
Marvels Echohowever, will be the very first MCU project with an age rating confirming that it is not suitable for children. As the trailer shows, it will indeed be full of violent moments, with plenty of blood, several people getting shot – mostly in the head – and the occasional neck-breaking and face-slapping by the show’s titular character and her surrogate uncle Wilson. Fisk/Kingpin.
Elsewhere, viewers are hoping to see a cameo from Daredevil (Charlie Cox) 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 happy to see him appear. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment at 1:27, but Daredevil’s red and dark yellow suit, which we previously saw in She-Hulk: Lawyeris visible during this very short clip as Echo throws him over a table.
EchoDaredevil’s unexpectedly violent tone also bodes well for Daredevil’s own MCU TV series. Fans were concerned that, given Marvel’s desire to appeal to audiences of all ages, the Marvel Phase 5 show – titled Daredevil: Born Again – wouldn’t be fully R-rated. However, Echo shows that Marvel won’t hold back if it believes one of its projects should be more adult-oriented than before. That, next to Reborn‘s new lead showrunner and directors has certainly restored our faith in Daredevil’s upcoming series.
Check out this brand new poster for Marvel Studios’ #Echo, a new original series with all episodes streaming January 10 on @DisneyPlus and @Hulu. All episodes are available on Hulu until April 9. pic.twitter.com/x2CaCQrBrZNovember 3, 2023
For anyone who wants a quick overview of what Echo is about, here’s a very brief summary of Disney and Marvel’s story: “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 takes her home, she must face her own family and legacy.”
Unusually for a Marvel TV show, Echo is getting a Netflix-style release, meaning all five episodes will drop on Disney Plus and Hulu – two of the world’s top streaming services – in early January. Additionally, Disney and Marvel have confirmed that it will only be on Hulu until April 9, so Hulu subscribers only have three months to watch the film.