Posted in: Disney+, Hulu, Marvel, TV | Tagged: Alaqua Cox, ASL, deaf, disney, Echo, hulu, maya lopez, vincent d'onofrio

Echo: Alaqua Cox on Maya/Kingpin, "Hawkeye" Fallout, Representation

Echo star Alaqua Cox on the importance of representation as Marvel's first Native American lead, the Maya/Kingpin dynamic, and much more.

No one can say enough about the leaps and bounds Disney and Marvel Studios are making to provide a broad spectrum of representation, especially the breakout success of Alaqua Cox and her character Echo – who never let any physical challenge take away her powerful presence on screen since making her character's live-action debut in the Disney+ series Hawkeye. Based on the comics created by David Mack and Joe Quesada, Echo is Maya Lopez, a henchwoman and assassin for Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio), aka the Kingpin in search of The Ronin, the persona Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) adopted during the Blip taking out his rage on organized crime for the family he lost before coming back to his Hawkeye self in 2019's Endgame. After a crisis of conscience, Maya fights her former boss and father-type figure before ending up shooting him, finding herself on the run returning to her hometown in Oklahoma in the new upcoming spinoff, Echo, with Marion Dayre as showrunner. Cox, like her character, is hearing impaired and speaks via sign language. She spoke about the importance of representation, collaborating with the Choctaw Nation, and how Maya's relationship with Fisk changed her path to redemption.

How Alaqua Cox Brings Anti-Hero Echo to Life in Disney+ Spinoff Series

When it came to being the first Native American to lead a Marvel series, "Man, it is so extremely important. I'm so grateful to be able to represent in this role because obviously authenticity is the key, and it's so important for Native American culture to be represented in the show as well," Cox told Screen Rant. "Also the deaf community as well; we cannot forget about them. So, I'm so happy to be able to represent both roles." The actress broke down how a representative from the Choctaw guided her on set. "I remember we partnered with the Choctaw Nation to make sure that everything that we were representing was accurate to the nation because we have so many different tribes and different cultures, and they have their own traditions as well, and people think they're all similar, but they're actually not. Every tribe has their own traditions, and Marvel was able to connect us with somebody from the Choctaw Nation and show us their traditions and their culture as well," Cox said. "The first day of filming, we had somebody on set. I remember our first day of filming; they brought the Choctaw Nation to honor our opening and have an opening ceremony. I can't remember what it was called, but we had an opening ceremony in honor of the show, and it was so beautiful to see that culture there and have them join us."

Cox also explained how Fisk's becoming a surrogate father figure molded Maya at a young age. "Maya's father died, of course, and Fisk takes her in as his caregiver and cares for her. And then it's kind of crazy how Kingpin teaches her the violent lifestyle that she lives, and all these lies and betrayals happen, and all these bad things happen," she said. "I like how we show little Maya is able to beat up somebody because Kingpin was there, and he showed her the way. So, Maya became this rageful person, all learned from Kingpin. It's very interesting to see that dynamic in a relationship." For more on the star breaking down the fight choreography and Maya's change in perspective, you can check out the interview here. Echo, which also stars Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal. Devery Jacobs. Zahn McClarnon, Cody Lightning, Graham Greene, and Charlie Cox premieres on Disney+ and Hulu on January 9th.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!