I have a very strong feeling that the Netflix shows being added to the MCU was a last minute change of decision to accommodate a pivoted Daredevil restructuring. It seems pretty clear that the Netflix shows have been folded into the MCU continuity but I believe Marvel was planning to show the characters as Variants of the Netflix universe, but changed their minds only a few weeks before Echo's release.
There's gonna be some spoilers ahead for the newest show Echo.
spoiler
Does anyone wonder why Fisk's hammer was different, or why his memory of his anger reaching the breaking point was also different? Combine those examples with how they used the Netflix scenes in one of the trailers and I can't help but wonder why the show wouldn't make the effort to get these details right.
I'm sure we will never have a definitive answer on these behind the scenes decisions, but it seems fairly obvious to me that Marvel decided to fold Netflix into the main continuity as an effort to salvage a last minute pivoted Daredevil show.
What do you think?