By Marvel Studios kicks off its 2024 with “Echo,” the five-episode Disney+ limited series which is being touted as both the first Marvel Spotlight title (being relatively standalone) and the first R-rated MCU title.
Tone-wise the trailers suggest the series is returning to the kind of style seen in the various Marvel Television series for Netflix, not a surprise considering the series also serves as a precursor to the “Daredevil: Born Again” revival next year.
Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk/Kingpin both appear in “Echo” after having already reprised their roles from Netflix’s “Daredevil” in the MCU (Cox in “She-Hulk” & Spider-Man, D’Onofrio in “Hawkeye”).
It was never entirely clear if these were the same characters from the Netflix series, or if they and their whole shows were a part of another universe. In a new interview with Screen Rant, MCU executive producer Brad Winderbaum says he sees Netflix’s “Daredevil” as part of the MCU canon:
“I can say that up until this point, we’ve been a little bit cagey about what’s Sacred Timeline, what’s not Sacred Timeline. That was born of, frankly, a period at the studio where we were like, ‘We have to stick the landing with the vendors.’ It was another part of the company developing the Netflix stuff.
We were aware of what they were doing, they were aware of what we were doing, but there was a lot to balance anyway. But now that some time has passed; now that we see actually how well integrated the stories are, I think that I personally, Brad Winderbaum, would be confident in saying it is part of the Sacred Timeline.”
Marvel still remains vague on their characters in terms of timelines, though both seem to be playing the same characters they did from the prior show – Kingpin’s brief moments of near super strength in “Hawkeye” not withstanding.
“Daredevil: Born Again” was partway through filming when Marvel hit pause and opted to undergo a creative overhaul on the project. It’s not expected until next year.
Meanwhile Winderbaum says “Echo” will offer a look at what the MCU can become, telling Slashfilm:
“Maya allowed us to see a corner of the MCU that hadn’t been seen before. To me, that is the future of Marvel. It is being able to tell stories that are unexpected, that operate on the fringe of what we’ve seen before, and are standalone, character-focused, and have a unique personality all their own.
‘Echo’ marks a new beginning for the studio. It’s a new tone for us, and it is a truly grounded and emotional journey, not just for the audience, but certainly for all of us who are lucky to be behind the scenes/”
All five episodes of “Echo” premiere on January 9th on the Disney+ service.
The post Marvel Exec: Netflix’s “Daredevil” Is Canon appeared first on Dark Horizons.
