Marvel’s “Echo” shining a spotlight on the people of the Choctaw Nation made it possible for Maya Lopez to become an even richer character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By using the history of the Choctaw people and their culture as the source of Maya’s newfound abilities, all while bringing her closer to her family, “Echo” has turned the comic book character into so much more than she was on the page. Maya’s powers aren’t just some manifestation of superhuman abilities for the sake of superhero antics; they offer a way for her to deal with the trauma from her family, both biological and adopted, and the connection she feels with her ancestors allows her to work through the pain she’s been holding onto for years, first from her mother’s death at a young age and then from the more recent death of her father at the hands of Kingpin.
But before “Echo” is through, the show also gives Maya one more moment in her emotional journey. Through her abilities, she’s able to see into the mind of Kingpin, specifically the moment that holds the most painful part of his life, when he was forced to beat his father to death with a hammer in order to save his abused mother. Maya attempts to help Kingpin work through that pain by not picking up the hammer in his memories and moving on from the rage he’s let define most of his life. Does it do any good? We’ll find out soon enough.
All episodes of Marvel’s “Echo” are streaming on Disney+ now.
Marvel’s Echo doesn’t utilize the character’s powers from the comics. In fact, the Disney+ series makes the character’s name and abilities far more meaningful. Read More