‘Echo’: ‘Hawkeye’ Spinoff Series To Debut Under New Marvel Spotlight Banner That Focuses On Less MCU Continuity

When Echo hits Disney+ on Jan. 10, 2024 it will premiere under the new Marvel Spotlight banner complete with a new intro-logo, scored by Oscar winning composer Michael Giacchino. Essentially, the new sub-category of Marvel is a branding for standalone fare, versus series and movies that connect to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The sub-category gets its name from an anthology comic book series first introduced by Marvel in 1971, which featured new characters that readers didn’t have to fully commit to over several issues.

More from Deadline

• 'Gen V' Season 1 Finale: EPs Michele Fazekas & Eric Kripke On Running Into Controversy, 'The Boys' Crossover & Season 2

• HBO And Max Content Chief Casey Bloys Says "A Sameness Of Storytelling" Has Bogged Down Recent Superhero Outings, Makes Case For Why 'The Penguin' Won't Be Flightless

• Marvel's 'Daredevil: Born Again' Taps Dario Scardapane As New Showrunner, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead To Direct

The news was announced at a Friday-night screening of the first two episodes at The District at Choctaw Casinos & Resorts in Durant, Okla. as part of a larger Choctaw Day celebration.

Per Marvel.com, Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming Brad Winderbaum at the screening said, “Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case of Echo, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity.”

“Just like comics fans didn’t need to read Avengers or Fantastic Four to enjoy a Ghost Rider Spotlight comic,” he added, “our audience doesn’t need to have seen other Marvel series to understand what’s happening in Maya’s story.”

What’s ironic about putting Echo under the new Marvel Spotlight banner is that the show actually connects to the greater MCU. The series centers around the Native American deaf assassin Maya Lopez, who first appeared on Disney+’s Hawkeye. Also Vincent D’Onofrio’s bad guy villain from the Disney/Netflix series Daredevil, also starred in Hawkeye and continues his storyline in Echo.

Several Disney+ series have connected to the greater MCU movies, i.e. Disney+’s WandaVision spilled over into the movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, while both WandaVision and Ms. Marvel series bridge to the upcoming Nov. 10 movie The Marvels. 2019’s Captain Marvel film connects to the Disney+ series Secret Invasion starring Samuel L. Jackson.

Look at the new Marvel Spotlight logo here.

Best of Deadline

• 2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming

• Movie Release Date Calendar For 2023

• SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreements: Full List Of Movies And TV Series

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.