After months of anticipation, Echo has finally been released. Unfortunately, the latest Disney Plus series isn’t getting glowing reviews. When Echo was first announced, many scratched their heads at the idea of the Hawkeye supporting character getting a spin-off since she wasn’t well received in the series. Then the trailer arrived. Despite rumors that the studio didn’t think the series was all that great, the trailer garnered huge excitement because it genuinely seemed like a strong return to form for Kevin Feige and Marvel.
Plus, adding Kingpin and Daredevil only enhanced people’s enthusiasm for the new mini-series. Then the reviews came out. Echo is getting a better reception than recent Disney Plus shows such as Secret Invasion, but the consensus is that it doesn’t live up to the hype that the trailers promised. More importantly, it’s another dead project that features Daredevil.
Granted, Daredevil is only making a cameo appearance in Echo, but his name was heavily featured in the series. Matt Murdock is in the good graces of most fans following the tremendous Netflix series, but his lackluster return to the MCU could kill his character before his official show returns.
Netflix Washed Away The Bad Memories Of The Live-Action Film
Ben Affleck‘s version of Daredevil was by no means bad, though many fans consider it to be. The film came out 20 years ago and it certainly shows it’s age. Even then, the bad dialogue, lackluster CGI, and bland story were noticeable when the first film came out. So when Netflix announced the series, many were skeptical for good reason. Daredevil is a very compelling presence in the comics, but Netflix didn’t have the good graces of Kevin Feige when it came to comic book adaptations.
The overall sentiment of the Daredevil series is that it’s the best one out of the four Marvel shows. Charlie Cox is simply perfect as the title character, but the series managed to have incredible fight sequences, a strong story, and tremendous characters. It sucked that Netflix canceled such a memorable series, but there was excitement for Cox’s version of Daredevil once he made a surprising cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Marvel Has Done Some Real Damage To Daredevil With His Recent Cameos
As fun as it was to see Matt Murdock’s brief appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, he didn’t make a lasting impact. Though to be fair, No Way Home was packed with so many comic book names that giving Daredevil something of substance was impossible. Hawkeye was the first glimpse of how Marvel was going to treat Netflix’s characters and many wish that Kingpin was never involved with the series.
He was goofy and toned down to suit Disney’s family-friendly nature; a complete opposite of what the Netflix Kingpin represented. Kingpin was considered one of the best Marvel villains; he was genuinely a frightening, but dynamic character who wasn’t your traditional, “take over the world” villain. That stripped some of the goodwill over what Netflix would do to Daredevil as it was clear that he was making the jump over to Disney very soon.
Then Daredevil made his appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Again, Charlie Cox’s performance was praised, but the series is considered one of the worst shows in Kevin Feige’s MCU. Daredevil didn’t do anything meaningful in the series as he was simply Jen’s love interest. What’s even worse was that his presence was diminished by Jen not knowing who he was.
His cameo could’ve been an excellent vehicle in adding layers to his character and expanding the scope of the MCU, but all it did was diminish his accomplishments from the Netflix series and reduce him to being a sex object. Daredevil was used better in his brief cameo in Echo, but the show isn’t particularly favorable amongst fans as his fight scenes are seen as laughable by most.
Disney Needs To Make Sure That Daredevil: Born Again Is Better Than The Netflix Series
The good news is that Disney is putting the focus on quality again. Though it sucks that the series is being reshot, Kevin Feige and Disney recognizing that the material they had wasn’t good is a strong sign. Daredevil isn’t Teflon don. There’s still interest in his character, but his lackluster returns haven’t done much to boost his credibility. Not everyone saw the Netflix series so a good portion of the MCU fans don’t understand his value. The ones who did are let down by the way Kevin Feige is using him thus far.
Daredevil: Born Again needs to be excellent. I’m clearly stating the obvious, but in this case, the Disney brand can’t take another mediocre or good show. Daredevil is an incredible character who can bring some real value to the MCU, but if Kevin Feige can’t match the level of quality from the comics (or Netflix series) then he’ll be another missed opportunity in the MCU.
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