Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Episode 6.I’ve been genuinely impressed with howDaredevil: Born Againmanages to touch upon boththe originalDaredevilseriesand Marvel Television’s previous shows. There’s nods toHawkeye,including a cameo fromTony Dalton’s Jack Duquesne. The episode “With Interest” featured plenty of nods toMs. Marvel, and a hint that Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani)might be forming the Young Avengers. But for all the nods to previous MCU projects, it feels likeEchois getting the short end of the stick, and that’s very strange to me considering thatit not only set upDaredevil:Born Againbut also features a character with ties to Kingpin.
‘Echo’ Set Up the Events of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
Echomight have spun off from the events ofHawkeye, but its ties toDaredevilare evident in the pilot episode “Chafa.““Chafa” reveals thatMaya Lopez (Alaqua Cox)is the adopted niece of Daredevil’s archnemesis,Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). It also shows that Maya, due to her photographic reflexes, can match the Man Without Fear’s fighting style. If you ask me, the results gave usone of the best fight scenes in MCU history. As if that wasn’t big enough,Echoalso deals with the fact thatMaya shot Fisk in the faceafter learning that he set her father up to die. He recovers (because comics) and confronts her after she refuses to take over his criminal empire. Their final showdown ends with her unlocking a new set of powers and forcing him to confront his childhood trauma while begging him to let go of said trauma. I loved this finale, as it dug deep into the ties between Maya and Fisk and side-stepped the usual superhero punchout. But there’s another major development; following his battle with Maya, Fiskdecides to run for Mayor— and wins by the timeDaredevil: Born Againbegins.
What baffles me is thatDaredevil:Born Againhas mostly sidestepped these events. Apart fromMatt Murdock (Charlie Cox)and Vanessa Fisk (Ayelet Zurer) referencing Fisk’s getting shot in the pilot episode “Heaven’s Half Hour,” it’s as if Maya didn’t exist. Again, this doesn’t make sense. Why wouldDaredevil: Born Againignore one of theMCU’s more well-crafted series, not to mention one that has such strong ties to its main characters? I’m not expecting every previous TV show to get a shout-out, butEchois the one that makes the most sense. The ties between Maya, Matt and Fisk aren’t just restricted to television, though, as they were established during theDaredevilcomics.
Maya Lopez Has Ties to Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk in the Comics
Echo makes her first appearance in theDaredevilstoryline “Parts of a Hole,” byDavid MackandJoe Quesada. She winds up befriending, and then romancing, Matt Murdock; this turns out to be a front since theKingpin trained her to believe that Daredevil killed her father. Echo tricks the Man without Fear into fighting her in a place where his hypersenses don’t work, but before she can strike a killing blow he reveals Fisk’s true nature to her. This leads to Maya shooting Fisk in the face (which was replicated inHawkeye.) Maya’s heroic journey doesn’t stop there; she dons the mantle of the Ronin to battle the Hand and eventually joins the Avengers on Daredevil’s recommendation.
In fact, I feel like Maya could be utilized more in the MCU, givenher connections to various Marvel comics characters. Not only was she a longstanding member of the Avengers, but she was briefly romantically involved with Moon Knight. Her biggest claim to fame ismanaging to harness the power of the Phoenix Force. This is the same power that drove Jean Grey insane and is regarded as a world-killing force, yet Maya was able to master it with ease. If Marvel Studios wants to do something new with the Phoenix Force that isn’t justanother rehash of the Dark Phoenix storyline,giving it to Maya would be a genuinely interesting direction. And ifOscar Isaacever returns as Moon Knight, I wouldn’t mind if the romantic relationship between Moon Knight and Maya is explored.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Could Set Up an Echo Appearance in Season 2
WhileDaredevil: Born Againmight not referenceEchoin Season 1,I think Season 2 would be the perfect time for Echo to reappear. Judging from set photos, it looks like Fisk will make good on his threat to crack down on all vigilante activity in New York — leading Matt,Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), and other Daredevil allies to go undercover. Knowing Matt, he’ll probably take the fight to Fisk and he will need all the help he could get.Daredevil: Born Againbrought backJon Bernthal’s Punisherand is hinting at a new White Tiger, so why not bring in Echo? It’d make for an emotional reunion between Maya and Fisk, especially since she’d probably feel guilty about his rise to power. She could even don the Ronin costume to keep her identity a secret and stay true to the spirit of the comics.
Echois too good of a show to be ignored, especially byDaredevil: Born Again. I don’t know how long Matt Murdock’s return to television will be, butthere’s plenty of chances for Maya Lopez to make her return, and I hope it’s one that’s treated with the same respect that the rest of theDaredevilcast has gotten.
Echois available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. New episodes ofDaredevil: Born Againpremiere Tuesdays on Disney+.
Daredevil: Born Again
