Marvel's Echo: The Struggle of Rotten Tomatoes Scores

Echo's RT Score and its Impact

Rotten Tomatoes scores for Marvel's Echo improve days after its release, but they aren't enough to avoid an unfortunate MCU record. Released under Marvel Studios' Marvel Spotlight banner, Hawkeye's spinoff Echo follows Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez in the first-ever superhero project starring an indigenous person. Echo also expands the MCU's street-level lore and integrates Charlie Cox's Daredevil deeper into the MCU's chronological timeline. However, Echo's positive elements haven't been able to compensate for a generally mixed reception from audiences and critics, as evidenced by the show's Rotten Tomatoes score.

Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez in Echo and Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury in Secret Invasion

On January 9, 2024, Marvel's Echo debuted to a 67% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 77%. This makes Echo the second worst received MCU show after 2023's Secret Invasion, which stands at a 53% critics score and a 47% audience score at the time of writing. By January 11, 2024, Echo's critics score has risen to 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, but its 6-percent improvement fails to get the show out of the MCU's lowest rankings. On top of that, Echo's audience score has also decreased to 70% in two days.

Analysis of Echo's Reception

Echo has received praise for its serious tone, visually impressive action sequences, engaging character development, and strong performances by Echo stars Alaqua Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio. The family drama at the core of Echo's story and seems to be one of its strongest points alongside its deaf and indigenous representation, and despite some clear connections to Hawkeye, Daredevil, and the wider MCU, Echo's story stands out from other recent Marvel projects due to its earnest focus on Maya Lopez. However, negative reviews point out Echo's uneven pacing, poor editing, and low stakes, as well as the clash between Echo's criminal underground story and Maya Lopez's supernatural abilities.

Another major factor that likely influences Echo's low Rotten Tomatoes score is Marvel's decreasing goodwill after multiple recent critical and commercial disappointments on the big and the small screen. Since the beginning of Phase 4 and throughout Phase 5, movies like Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania have either struggled at the box office or received generally negative reviews. In fact, not long before Echo's release, The Marvels became the MCU's biggest box office bomb. MCU shows like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Secret Invasion haven't fared much better, breaking negative Rotten Tomatoes records with a 32% audience score and a 53% critics score, respectively.

Expectations and Impact on MCU

Due to Marvel's recent negative streak, expectations around the MCU's next big hit may have risen. Echo isn't specifically designed to be that project, therefore many critics and viewers who expected otherwise might be disappointed. Those who may have envisioned a dark and realistic series like Daredevil might take issue with Echo's focus on mythology. Likewise, those who may have expected a fast-paced MCU show with multiple cameos and frequent action sequences may find Echo underwhelming. But to its favor, Echo's critical reception has been evenly mixed, unlike Secret Invasion's nearly unanimous negative reviews.