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Alaqua Cox, a talented actress who happens to be deaf and hails from an indigenous community, aspires to be a trailblazer in Hollywood by playing the role of Maya Lopez in Marvel’sEchoseries. Her heartfelt desire is to contribute to improving the representation of individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds and abilities within the entertainment industry.
Spun from the popular MCU showHawkeye,Echopromises to be a groundbreaking exploration of identity and representation. And Cox is not just playing a hero; she’s carrying the hopes of countless people who long to see themselves saving the day on the big screen.
Also Read:“He is everything Fisk dislikes”: Echo Wild Fan Theory Can Bring Back 1 Major Defender in Daredevil: Born Again That Can Make MCU Interesting Again
Alaqua Cox On What It Means to Represent the Native and Deaf Community With Her Character inEcho
Echo, a spin-off ofHawkeye, centered on the titular Echo played byAlaqua Coxis Marvel’s first release of 2024. She was first introduced in the second episode of Disney Plus’Hawkeye, as the commander of the Tracksuit Mafia, a gang that was previously run by her father. And it took less time to have her own show.
On Monday, Alaqua Cox spoke toGood Morning Americaabout what she feels about her character and how it is a representation of the deaf and native community.
“The authentic representation is so important … these deaf kids … can feel like, ‘I’m finally here. I feel like I have worth and I can do anything I want to go for.’ Maybe they can see that similarity in me when they see me on the screen.”
Earlier, in an interview withVariety, Cox shared that she asked the cast and crew ofEchoto take ASL classes prior to production.
Also Read:The Only First Time MCU Actor Fans Agree Was “Perfectly Cast” apart from Alaqua Cox’s Echo
Echo, a five-episode series, also stars Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Zahn McClarnon, and Cody Lightning. The show, directed by Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie, dives into Maya’s culture and roots in an exploration of her origin story over five episodes.
Alaqua Cox Reveals She was “bullied for being deaf and an amputee” As a Kid
During a recent interview withPEOPLE, Alaqua Cox opened up about how she was bullied as a kid for being deaf and an amputee.
“I got bullied for being deaf and an amputee, and I would complain, but the district wouldn’t listen.”
However, all these bullying and bad experiences could not stop her from success as she was fond of sports, and her innate determination fueled the path to good days.
“I grew up playing different kinds of sports — I would play one-on-one basketball with my older brother — so I love doing those kinds of physical things.I FaceTimed them right away. I had nobody there to be with me, but I was so proud of myself,”she said.
She also spoke about the lack of sign language experts in schools and how she struggled with that.
“There was no awareness about deaf culture at all. I got bullied for being deaf and an amputee, and I would complain, but the district wouldn’t listen,” she said.
“It’s funny. When I got this role, those people that used to bully me contacted me,”Cox continued.“I’m just very proud to be able to show them that I can do anything. I can achieve anything on the same level as any other normal person could. I can be a superhero. Anything is possible.”
Also Read:“People didn’t know?”: Fans Defend Alaqua Cox’s Controversial Echo Fight Against Daredevil by Stating it to be Purely Intentional
All five episodes ofEcho arestreaming on both Disney+ and Hulu.
Prantik Prabal Roy
Articles Published :778
Prantik Prabal Roy is a content writer at FandomWire. With over three years of experience in content writing for various media houses, he takes great interest in telling stories about Hollywood celebrities and the world revolving around them. He has done his Master’s in English literature and diploma course in journalism. Being a literature student, he has the ability to delve into the matter and analyse it thoroughly to give the readers a clear view on the specific topics.
