Alaqua Cox Reveals How the Choctaw Nation Has Responded to ‘Echo’
When Marvel Studios’ Echo debuted on Disney+ earlier this year, the series delivered a number of firsts for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Echo was the first streaming series released under the new Marvel Spotlight banner, which will focus on more “street-level” stories that fans can enjoy without having been caught up with the larger MCU. The series was also the first Marvel Studios release to get a TV-MA rating.
Most importantly, Echo stars Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, giving Marvel their first hero who was both deaf and of Native American descent.
Maya’s Choctaw heritage was central to the plot of Echo. The series saw the anti-hero return to her family in Oklahoma and reconnect with her roots.
Marvel Strove For Authenticity
To ensure that the show portrayed the Native American experience in an authentic way, Marvel teamed up with the Choctaw Nation. Not only did the Echo team travel to Oklahoma to learn from the tribe, additionally but they also worked with Choctaw Chief Gary Batton, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Dr. Ian Thompson, and Executive Director of Cultural Services Seth Fairchild.
According to Fairchild, the Choctaw Nation saw Echo as “an opportunity to really lend our voice and culture on a scale that would otherwise not have been possible.”
The Choctaw’s Response to ‘Echo’
In a recent interview with CinemaBlend, Alaqua Cox revealed that since Echo‘s release, she had been thrilled with how the Choctaw Nation has responded to the show.
“I had some members of the Choctaw Nation come up to me and say it’s such an honor to have this character being portrayed [for] our nation. And I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, just stop. You guys are so nice to me.’ You know, this is coming from the Choctaw members themselves. So it means so much to them. It’s such an honor. And it makes me just want to hang out with them and just chat more with them. They’re so nice,” she explained.
While Echo was advertised as a limited series, we have likely not seen the last of Maya Lopez. Even if the series does not return for a second season, we should see Cox reprise her role in the broader MCU, perhaps even in Daredevil: Born Again.
Echo is streaming now on Disney+.
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