With every new MCU release comes one question - is there a post-credits scene? As every Marvel fan knows that's the tradition, but there have been exceptions - for instance, recently Loki season 2 didn't end with one.
And so, with all episodes of the latest Marvel TV series Echo having now dropped on Hulu and Disney Plus, it's once again time to ask that crucial question.
The good news for fans is that there is indeed an Echo post-credits scene after the fifth and final episode of the Hawkeye spin-off, which is titled Maya. And the even better news is that it explicity sets up another upcoming MCU show - Daredevil: Born Again.
Before we dive into it all warning - the following features spoilers for the Echo finale.
How many post-credits scenes does Marvel's Echo have?
Marvel's Echo only has one post-credits scene, which occurs midway through the closing credits. There is nothing at the very end of the credits.
What happens in Marvel's Echo post-credits scene?
Following Maya's (Alaqua Cox) final confrontation with Kingpin, a.k.a. Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio), we see our protagonist finally happily reunite with her family, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders. Kingpin meanwhile flees the scene, with the post-credits scene catching up with him shortly after, as he travels on his private plane.
Clearly shaken by what happened in the finale, which saw Maya use her healing powers on the crime lord so he could work through the childhood trauma that led him to kill his own father, Kingpin gives orders to the female assistant sitting opposite, requesting that the "remaining heads" (presumably his mob associates) assemble so that "the situation" can be stabilized. Seemingly returning to his home of New York, it seems that Kingpin wants to get his business affairs back in order.
What happens next though is the interesting part as Fisk turns his attention to the news report showing on the TV, which is about the New York City mayoral race. The political commentators on the television state that there isn't currently a clear frontrunner, then stating that what the people of the city really want is "a fighter... a bare-knuckle brawler". Hmmm - now, where can we find one of those?
Kingpin clearly agrees with us that he fits that bill, leaning forward in his chair, clearly interested in the idea of running for mayor. And luckily for him the TV reporters state that there is still time to enter the race, leaving the door open for any last minute candidates.
How does the Echo post-credits scene set up Daredevil: Born Again?
Although we don't actually see Fisk mention the mayoral race, it is very clear that he intends to run, with the scene setting up that storyline for the future of the MCU. Presumably that will be explored in the upcoming series Daredevil: Born Again, which we know will feature Kingpin. Whilst official story details are yet to be revealed there have long been rumors that it will follow Fisk's bid to become mayor, with Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil, attempting to prevent that from happening.
That is a story we have seen before in the comic books (from Daredevil volume 5) so it makes sense that we will finally see it brought to screen in the MCU - it has long been ripe for adaptation. In the Marvel Comics storyline Kingpin does end up winning and thus becomes Mayor of New York City. Naturally he doesn't use his new power for good, waging a war against the city's crime-fighters, asking for Daredevil to be arrested.
However, Murdock is a clever man and becomes Fisk's deputy mayor, secretly bringing Kingpin down from the inside. Daredevil strikes when Kingpin falls into a comma following an attack by supervillain organisation The Hand, stepping into the role of acting mayor until Fisk recovers. When Kingpin does, Murdock makes him promise to end the city's war against vigilantes.
Of course, it is unclear exactly how Marvel will translate this story onto the screen, but we will find out when Daredevil: Born Again eventually releases, which looks set to be late 2024 or early 2025.
All five episodes of Echo are now streaming on Disney Plus. For more, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order, a look at upcoming Marvel movies, and the latest on Marvel Phase 5.
