Krysten Ritter’s Defenders co-star Charlie Cox is entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a big way, and while similar returns for Ritter’s Jessica Jones are only a rumor at this point, she has found another genre franchise to join up with. The Hollywood Reporter says she’s going to produce and star in Orphan Black: Echoes, the previously announced spin-off/sequel series to the original Tatiana Maslany-starring clone hit.
Echoes is set in the same world as the original but in the “near future,” and it touches on “the scientific manipulation of human existence.” Specifically, it “revolves around a group of women as they weave their way into each other’s lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal.”
It might not be about clones, then, with the Hollywood Reporter story simply noting that Ritter’s character, Lucy, has an “unimaginable origin story” and is “trying to find her place in the world.” In any other context, being a clone would be an unimaginable origin story, but this is something in the Orphan Black universe, so there’s probably nothing more imaginable than being a clone (Maslany played many in the original show). So we’ll just have to wait and see, since presumably the reveal of this unimaginable origin story is going to be a big part of the selling point for Echoes.
Whoever is or is not a clone, Orphan Black: Echoes has been picked up for 10 episodes and will air on AMC at some point next year. The Society’s Anna Fishko serves as creator, writer, and showrunner, with original series co-creator John Fawcett executive producing. That’s all we know at the moment, but with a star and a release window already in place, the rest of the cast will probably come together quickly.