'Echo' tops of the list of worst Marvel productions yet



Marvel’s latest TV mini-series, “Echo,” just dropped on Disney+ last week, and it’s already making waves, which isn’t that surprising when you consider Marvel’s downward spiral into wokeness.

The series revolves around Maya Lopez – an indigenous, deaf female amputee – who becomes Kingpin’s top hit man.

“I guess [Kingpin is] like really into DEI,” mocks Lauren.

“If the obvious ESG push behind the show wasn't enough to just kind of give you pause,” she explains, there have also been “reports of production issues as well as Disney being so unhappy with the final product that they even considered not releasing the show at all and instead just taking the loss as a tax credit.”

“I've watched it,” Lauren admits, and “I've got to say, if I were Disney, I probably would have taken the tax credit.”

After a series of tragic life events, Maya ends up working for her father’s mob boss, Kingpin, in order to avenge his gruesome death. Given that Maya is Kingpin’s muscle, she’s doubly disabled, and the fact that this is a Marvel production, one would think Maya must have incredible superpowers.

But no. Maya’s vague superpower is that she can connect with her ancestors’ abilities when she finds herself in dire situations. This strange supernatural gift was a drastic diversion from Maya’s original powers in the comic books, however.

“The director behind the show was very clear that she believed Echo’s comic book powers were ‘lame,”’ explains Lauren, admitting that she’s “still not 100% sure what [Echo’s powers] exactly are” in the TV adaptation.

“Essentially Echo’s powers in this series equate to her maybe having had an energy drink. … Sis had a Red Bull, so she's a little more focused, a little more confident,” she criticizes, adding that it’s clear that the writers and producers “didn't want to make a Marvel series; they wanted to make a series focusing on disabled people or the Choctaw nation.”

According to Lauren, Maya’s powers were so vague and underdeveloped that “if you were to remove [them] entirely from the plot, the show could still happen and basically remain unchanged.”

But that’s just the beginning of the long list of complaints audience members had about “Echo.”

In addition to Maya’s character being “very unlikable,” viewers expressed frustration with the pacing of the series, confusing plot twists, and cringeworthy scenes, including one featuring a “70-year-old Native American grandmother beating up mobsters.”

To hear Lauren’s full review of “Echo,” watch the video below.


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Denzel Washington rejects Hollywood's diversity obsession, says it 'shouldn't even be mentioned'



Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington appeared to brush off Hollywood's obsession with diversity in a recent media interview, suggesting the buzzword "shouldn't even be mentioned" when promoting works of art.

The legendary movie star took a decidedly more color-blind approach to arts and entertainment than the one espoused by modern progressive "anti-racism" advocates while discussing his new film, “The Tragedy of Macbeth," which is a stripped-down retelling of the Shakespearean classic.

“Obviously we are diverse, so I think that’s a great thing,” Washington told NBC BLK, a news segment devoted to the African-American perspective, during a roundtable meeting with other media outlets.

But then he added: “You know, in my humble opinion, we ought to be at a place where diversity shouldn’t even be mentioned, like it’s something special. These young kids — black, white, blue, green, or whatever — are highly talented and qualified. So that’s why they’re there.”

Of course, the actor acknowledged the topic of diversity was bound to come up given the film's diverse cast, headlined by Washington. In the Joel Coen-directed film, Washington plays the lead character, Macbeth, a troubled Scottish lord who plots with his wife to murder the king and seize the throne.

But Washington seemed to rebuff society's fixation on race over and above everything else, at times to the detriment of showcasing people's talents and abilities.

Reporting on the news, Newsbusters noted that the actor's words served as a "powerful reminder" of Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech.

During the famous speech, King stated, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Washington, a widely respected American figure, has made countercultural statements in the past.

Early last year, as widespread anti-police sentiment swept the nation, Washington threw his public support behind law enforcement, saying, "I have the utmost respect for what they do, for what our soldiers do, [people] that sacrifice their lives," Washington answered.

"I just don't care for people who put those kind of people down," he continued. "If it weren't for them, we would not have the freedom to complain about what they do."

Then in December, Washington, an outspoken Christian, turned a New York Times interview into a full-throated sermon, explaining that sin is the root cause of all division and lightly suggesting that his interviewer read the Bible to experience how deeply it relates to her life.