Character rights when it comes to Marvel are a strange, recursive beast. Prior to introducing its own stable of shows, Marvel Studios licensed out the rights for its characters to a wide variety of studios. Netflix produced a prestigious Daredevil series in 2015, ostensibly set in but not really paying attention to the wider affairs of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This made sense for the series, which focused on the down-to-earth struggles of Matt Murdock fighting crime in Hell’s Kitchen. But Daredevil and the rest of The Defenders properties are long since shuttered, an awkward remnant of a time before shows like WandaVision or Hawkeye.
But it was Hawkeye that brought the first part of those shows back into the MCU proper, introducing Vincent D’Onofrio as the Kingpin during the show’s last episode. Charlie Cox’s Daredevil would follow suit not even a month later, appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home for a brief cameo as the web-slinger’s legal counsel. The Hollywood Reporter recently confirmed both characters would show up again in Echo, a welcome follow-up to their first MCU appearances. While Kingpin’s part in Hawkeye was larger, both were minor characters who served specific roles. Neither Hawkeye nor No Way Home took the time to explain who exactly each character was.
That’s a good thing. While the question of whether this is the same Wilson Fisk or same Matt Murdock might loom large in an audience’s mind, it’s ultimately immaterial. Former projects like The Defenders are best left with a murky half-life, acknowledging the past of the characters involved while not explicitly confirming any of it as canon. This lets fans who previously saw Daredevil maintain a greater insight into both characters, while still leaving the specific details of their past up in the air.
Above all else, Echo shouldn’t explain Daredevil’s backstory to the audience. Echo is a show about Maya Lopez, a character with at best a peripheral connection to the blind brawler, focused more in the criminal underground he hunts through. Echo’s exact allegiance following the end of Hawkeye is unclear. She took her revenge on Kingpin, but that might just mean she’s a different flavor of villain. Daredevil works either as an ally or a heroic bogeyman, but his origin and escapades throughout his three season on Netflix shouldn’t be pivotal to Maya’s story.
Marvel shows rarely get more than six episodes to tell their stories. This is a weakness of the studio’s storycraft, especially since one of the advantages of the television format is greater space for characters to breathe and unfold. In a larger show, it might make sense to give Daredevil a bit more room on the proverbial stage. But as a consequence of their short runtime, Marvel’s shows only work if they’re tight and focused, working ceaselessly towards their endpoint without ever flagging or failing. Questions of Daredevil’s backstory and past don’t lack worth, but they would take time Echo doesn’t have.
Fisk is a different story. Echo shot him at the end of Hawkeye, and how he survived is an important detail to clarify as a part of his eventual reappearance. Talking about his past struggles, even with Daredevil, could lend depth to an already textured character that serves as a key part of Echo’s narrative and backstory. Even though Daredevil is the more popular character, more time needs to be spent with Kingpin. But the most time should be spent on Echo and whatever arc she’ll undergo as a part of her new show. It’s easy for lesser-known characters to be eclipsed when even one bigger name falls into their orbit, let alone two. Echo should be a story about Maya Lopez — her struggles, her triumphs, her virtues and her follies — for all the time fans get to spend with her.