Marvel Studios' post Avengers: Endgame output, it's Phase 4 and 5 has been a mixed bag of late. Between multiversal madness, quantum adventures, and introducing a spate of new characters it feels like the stakes are becoming increasingly huge.
What the MCU needs, and will get, is something a little smaller in the stakes department, something of a respite from the intergalactic showdowns that the likes of The Marvels and Guardians of the Galaxy offer. That's where Marvel Spotlight appears to be coming. Spotlight promises to be a section of the MCU that isn't beholden to the grand storyline being told. A place for smaller, grittier stories to be told.
In the comics, these were often relegated to the MAX imprint, where adult orientated stories with violence and mature themes could flourish. Echo, the Alaqua Cox fronted spin-off from Hawkeye promises to the be the first of this off-shoot. Cox's Maya Lopez a deaf enforcer for crime boss Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) gets her own five episode limited series that promises to be more about a grounded, darker take on the Marvel universe.
There will, of course, be connections. Her ties to both Daredevil and Hawkeye will feature, but this promises to put audiences in a world of crime syndicates and pain rather that cosmic rays and aliens. Using Echo as the first in this line makes sense, Hawkeye was a very well-liked series and Echo was one of the stand out characters. It helps that Cox herself is a deaf actress, and has a prosthetic leg, allowing her series to be fantastic representation for those with difficulty hearing or physical disabilities as well as representing that Native American community.
What this also means is that as Marvel looks to bring in characters from the Netflix series, and put their spin on them, they can keep the darker, more grounded world that audiences will probably expect. On the horizon is Daredevil: Born Again, the longest series from Disney+ and Marvel, which sees Charlie Cox's blind lawyer Matt Murdock aka Daredevil return. Having had guest spots in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and the forthcoming Echo, Daredevil's own series can flourish in the darker, noir world of the Spotlight imprint.
It also means that Marvel's roster of darker, more adult themed characters might be able to get their due without having to be roped into galactic conflicts. Jon Bernthal's The Punisher is set to return in the Daredevil series, and being one of the darkest, most violent characters Marvel has, it might be a dry run for his own series or movie. Bernthal's Frank Castle is known for his violent methods of dispatching crime, and tackling mafia-types and gangs.
It remains to be seen if the other Netflix characters, now under Marvel Studios' control, return or if the actors return with them. But characters like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage could easily find their place in the Spotlight corner. Jones' Netflix series and comic book runs have always dealt with her as a P.I. who deals with her own history of sexual assault and PTSD while Luke Cage is a very racially charged character, a bullet-proof African American who seeks to help the people of Harlem while cops and criminals alike wish to stop him. Both would make fine additions to in their own, or other people's series, and like Murdock in She-Hulk could cross over into the main storyline without losing their edge in their own stories.
As Marvel has dabbled with darker edges in things like Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night, this might also be a place where more horror-centric characters could live. It could be a place where we might be able to see the MCU take on Ghost Rider, having previously been played by Nicolas Cage (as Johnny Blaze) and Gabriel Luna (as Robbie Reyes). It might also help with characters like Blade or Wolverine, who can work well in the tamer, PG13 world of the mainstream but also work best when allowed to be a darker, more mature story.
The reason Echo makes for a great launchpad for this brand is that Marvel Studios have always done their best work with the lesser known characters. Back in 2008 Iron Man wasn't as huge as Spider-Man or Hulk, allowing the film to make changes to suit the film world, and to set up a universe that could stand on it's own. Similarly, without being mainstream The Guardians of the Galaxy could be their own creation and set up a more cosmic world for the ongoing story. What Echo promises audiences is a glimpse into the potential of stories that deal in identity, death, violence, and crime. Bringing what made the Netflix series so appealing but without falling into their overlong 13-episode mandates, or the lack of a wider universe. Echo exists in a world where half the universe can be snapped away at a moments notice, but isn't beholden to it. It's the ground level story, and that's something that audiences have been looking for for a while.
It heralds a new chapter in the MCU without alienating what already works.
