One of the breakout characters in Marvel’s Hawkeye was Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez, aka Echo. Created by David Mack and Joe Quesada in the late ’90s, the Deaf superhero would play key roles in the Daredevil and New Avengers books, going on to don the Ronin mantle as well.
She’d become a key member of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, especially in grounded, street-level stories in New York, which is why she was perfect for the show. However, as Marvel Studios: Assembled, “The Making of Hawkeye,” revealed, the series almost had a totally different Echo.
Echo was a key player in the show, being the niece of Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, but also someone affiliated with the Tracksuit Mafia who wanted Clint Barton dead. The series subverted bits and pieces from the books, but what remained true was Echo’s badass demeanor. The story culminated in her battling Clint, only to let go of her anger when she realized Kazi, not Clint, betrayed her clan and got her dad killed in a power battle.
It was an emotional arc, and in the hour-long documentary Cox admitted she initially turned down the offer for the role. She was just getting into the industry but ignored the first call that went out. She wasn’t sure how genuine the role would be or if she could pull it off, but friends encouraged her to take the role. She applied, got back an e-mail, and within three months the process turned into her being cast in her debut, which now has fans wondering who would have taken on the role had Cox stuck to her guns.
That said, Cox admitted it happened so fast, but it was “amazing” and a “dream come true” to be in a Marvel Studios project, never realizing things would snowball so quickly. As an athlete back in Wisconsin and an amputee, she saw it as a chance for real representation and equality as well, outside of being Deaf. However, she also had to make adjustments to show Echo as a warrior with her own prosthetic leg because Marvel wanted to protect her hands.
They were important for signing, so as her bread and butter, the studio shifted her style of fighting to akido, elbows and a more MMA vibe. It was something Cox was comfortable with, as she could pull off any style, plus she was just elated and eager for the watershed moment to hit the screen to inspire others like her. And taking her friends’ advice paid dividends, because her impressive acting skills and passion aside, Echo’s been set up for her own series that may bring Fisk back.
She seemingly shot him in the finale as he was also responsible for her dad’s death, but like the comics, this could set up a rivalry with him losing an eye. As such, Cox’s Maya is poised to become an even bigger player in Hell’s Kitchen, bringing her fairytale story full-circle to when she thought the idea of playing a superhero was a joke.
Marvel Studios: Assembled, “The Making of Hawkeye,” as well as all six episodes of Hawkeye are now available on Disney+.
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