Who Is At The End Of Hawkeye Episode 2 – Marvel’s Kingpin Link Explained

Warning: SPOILERS for Hawkeye episode 2

The ending of Hawkeye episode 2 introduced a new character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Maya Lopez aka Echo, who has connections to Kingpin. The fourth live-action MCU Disney+ show puts Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) at the center of a street-level adventure. It doesn’t take long for Hawkeye to create a few enemies for the archers either, but Echo is currently their biggest threat it appears.

The first two episodes of Hawkeye put the Tracksuit Mafia on the hunt for Kate Bishop. She fights them initially when wearing Clint’s old Ronin costume and thinks that she got the best of them. However, the Tracksuit Mafia managed to follow Kate and set her apartment on fire. Even though Clint primarily wants to get his Ronin suit back and return home in time for Christmas, he goes out of his way to help Kate and make sure she’s safe. This includes him waiting for the Tracksuit Mafia to find him so they can settle their differences, which leads to Clint being taken hostage by them. The group is positioned as one of the many villains that Clint and Kate will face in Hawkeye, but they aren’t the only ones.

Marvel Studios appears poised to use Hawkeye to put Clint and Kate through the wringer by having them fight multiple villains. Some of their possible foes include Jack Duquesne aka Swordsman (Tony Dalton), or even Kate’s mom Eleanor Bishop (Vera Farmiga). It is also known that Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is in Hawkeye, and rumors suggest Daredevil’s Vincent D’Onofrio will return as Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin. However, the end of episode 2 introduces a different new villain for the MCU’s archers.

Who Is At The End Of Hawkeye Episode 2

Hawkeye episode 2’s ending features the MCU debut of Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez aka Echo. Her introduction comes after Clint attempts to figure out who is in charge of the goons that make up the Tracksuit Mafia. While he originally wonders if The Clown (Fra Fee) is the man in charge, one of the higher-ranking members of the mafia eventually goes to get their real leader. With that, Hawkeye episode 2 delivers a cliffhanger ending that introduces viewers to Echo. She receives an ominous introduction as she’s isolated in a room filled with speakers and red lights. Maya places her hand on the speakers to feel their vibrations and “hear” the music before heading out to meet Clint and Kate.

Due to the brevity of her appearance in Hawkeye episode 2, Echo is left as largely a mystery as far as who she is in the MCU. One immediate takeaway is that she has amassed some power in New York’s criminal underworld despite her young age. Since Maya Lopez is in charge of the Tracksuit Mafia, that highlights how big of a threat she already is for Clint and Kate. The Tracksuit Mafia’s mission to steal items from Avengers Compound is presumably an order that came directly from Echo. Her overall mission is still a mystery, but it is clear by Hawkeye episode 2’s ending that Echo has been waiting to see Clint and Kate.

Echo’s Marvel Comics History & Origin

Maya Lopez made her Marvel Comics debut in 1999, as David Mack and Joe Quesada introduced her in Daredevil #9. She is a Native American who was born deaf but gifted in other ways. From a young age, Maya showed the ability to duplicate any physical move she saw. Her powers are very similar to Taskmaster in that regard, as Echo immediately masters the movement. While Maya originally used these skills for art, she took a darker turn following her father’s death, who worked for Kingpin. This led Wilson Fisk to “adopt” Maya and harness her unique skills to make her a deadly assassin. Kingpin put her powers to the test when he told her that Daredevil was responsible for killing her father. Echo hunted down Matt Murdock to get revenge, which led to her discovering the truth that Kingpin killed her father.

After breaking free of Kingpin’s control, Maya Lopez went on to adopt a new codename: Ronin. She first wore the black and gold ninja suit in the comics, although the MCU has already changed the mantle to make Clint the original Ronin. During her time as Ronin, Maya Lopez helped the New Avengers fight the Hand and Madame Hydra. This eventually led to Elektra killing and resurrecting Echo before Secret Invasion. She’s gone on to participate in significant crossover events like World War Hulk and Secret Invasion. Echo was even a host for the Phoenix Force in recent years, which gave her a brand new set of powers far beyond her usual high-level physical abilities.

What Role Echo Will Play In Hawkeye – Is She Friend Or Villain?

Echo’s quick appearance in Hawkeye episode 2 suggests she will be a villain, but her comic history points otherwise: so which will she be? The truth might be that she’ll be both. The immediate tease of Echo’s role sets her up to be a Hawkeye villain out the gate. There is a reference in these first two episodes that Clint previously encountered the Tracksuit Mafia during his time as Ronin, which could mean Echo has a vendetta to settle with him. Since Hawkeye’s time as Ronin saw him kill multiple criminals, the MCU may alter Echo’s comic origin by having Hawkeye/Ronin be framed for her father’s death. This would not only create great tension between Echo and Clint, but it would also be a way for Hawkeye to force him to confront what he did as Ronin.

Even if Echo is a villain at the start of Hawkeye, it seems unlikely that she will end the series in the same place. Marvel Studios has plans to keep using Echo after this show is over, and all signs point to that being part of her journey to becoming a hero. The seeds of such a transformation can come in Hawkeye, potentially should she learn that she’s been lied to as part of a larger scheme. This could come if the MCU retains her connection to Kingpin, as her relation to him could be another reason why the Tracksuit Mafia members are so fearful of her. However, Echo could come to realize during Hawkeye that she’s fighting for the wrong side and decide to turn against the show’s other villains and work with Clint and Kate.

Hawkeye Sets Up Echo’s Own MCU Show

Now that Hawkeye has introduced Echo, the series will help spinoff series. Marvel Studios confirmed in late 2021 that Alaqua Cox would star in Echo, which was rumored to be in the works earlier in the year. Most of the details about the series are still a mystery, unsurprisingly. Without an accurate timeline of when Echo will be made in relation to other upcoming MCU movies and shows, Marvel is in no rush to reveal too much about the series – especially since viewers should learn much more about Alaqua Cox’s MCU character in the next four Hawkeye episodes.

Viewers should expect that her role in Hawkeye will heavily influence the direction and story of Echo. This could happen through a late-season appearance by Kingpin and confirming his connection to Echo, which would also back up rumors of Fisk’s return in the spinoff. There might even be a tease that she could pick up the Ronin mantle next as a sign of her deciding to take on the types of criminals she previously aided. Both of those teases would be pretty exciting pieces of setup for where Echo will be when her spinoff begins. It is also possible that Hawkeye will set up her show in other ways, such as hinting at a backstory that Marvel can fully explore later on. Either way, Echo’s time in the MCU is only just beginning.

Hawkeye airs every Wednesday on Disney+.

About The Author

Cooper Hood
(5625 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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