'Echo' trailer reveals several MCU firsts : TV-MA rating, simultaneous Hulu release, and native American lead
«Echo», which will premier on January 10, is the first Marvel production to launch simultaneously on Disney+ and Hulu, the first which will be available for binge-watching and the first to carry a TV-MA rating. Director and executive producer Sydney Freeland emphasizes the significance of representation as the series revolves around Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), Marvel's first superhero series featuring a deaf and Native American character.
“Representation was extremely important to myself and to everyone on the crew,” Freeland said at a press event for the series in October, where she was joined by executive producer Brad Winderbaum (who’s also head of streaming, television and animation at Marvel).
But while the filmmakers said the show had Indigenous and deaf representation in front of and behind the camera, there were further efforts made to ensure a high level of authenticity during production.
For Freeland, who hails from the Navajo tribe, the project marks a personal and cultural milestone. Her focus on authentic storytelling prompted her to reimagine Maya's Indigeneity as a member of the Choctaw tribe from Oklahoma, engaging the Choctaw Nation to ensure a faithful portrayal of their culture and people.
The series is further enriched by the inclusion of indigenous actors and collaborators in both the cast and crew.
“I had a pitch deck and I pitched them the project,’” Freeland said of her meeting with the tribal nation. “‘It’s not going to be earnest, it’s going to be a little more violent, but we feel like there’s a great story behind it.’”
“Basically I said, ‘No, no, we’re not here to tell you what we’re going to do,’” the filmmaker explained.
