Marvel’s latest mini-series Echo is ready to take off on January 10, the official series based on the dashing Maya Lopez/Echo. Echo first appeared in 2021’s Hawkeye, and fans’ reception of the superhero encouraged an entire plot on her, specifically for Lopez’s unique backstory. Echo star Alaqua Cox resembles her character greatly, as both are from the Native American and deaf communities.
As interesting as Maya Lopez, Cox also boasts of a compelling past before she stepped into the world of films. While she certainly doesn’t have a villainous Kingpin Uncle or possess photographic reflexes, Alaqua Cox is kind of a hero on her own. Here’s all you need to know about Alaqua Cox:
Alaqua Cox: Family, Nationality and Hollywood
Born on 13th February 1997, Alaqua Cox was raised as a Menominee and Mohican Native American in the Menominee Indian Reservation in Keshen, northeast of Wisconsin. The Menominee land of Omaeqnomenew-Otaeskonenan, per Pop Sugar. Much like herself, her on-screen character, Maya Lopez also emerges from the Native American Cheyenne tribe. The 26-year-old actress was born to Bill Cox and Elena Heath and has three siblings, Will, Katie, and Jordan. The 5’8 star is deaf and an amputee, supported by a prosthetic lower leg.
Starring as one of MCU’s grittiest characters, Cox went to the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. A competitive member of the girls’ basketball and volleyball team, Cox has what it takes to fit into Maya Lopez’s fighter persona. Making her acting debut with Hawkeye, Cox was initially working at an Amazon warehouse, with no plans of acting in the future.
Eventually, her friends told her of a Disney+ casting call that required a Native American actress who was deaf, a perfect fit for the Echo star. Little did she know her life would never be the same from there on. Aspiring to be a role model and inspiration for her community, Cox is thrilled that finally a deaf character is authentically being represented on a major platform as the Marvel. Cox’s Maya Lopez is a rather special MCU character, but that doesn’t mean she can’t bash those who hinder her path.
Also Read: No Man’s Sky Releases Full Length Trailer for Upcoming ‘Echoes’ Update – From Zero to Hero
Alaqua Cox is the real Maya Lopez
While characters are portrayed by suitable stars, the unlikely resemblance of Maya Lopez and Alaqua Cox is surprising. Apart from the physical similarities, both the women are strong fighters, with an intense life history. Hence, the Echo star opened up about her past trauma while at a press conference that greatly coincided with Maya Lopez’s life, per Yard Barker. Cox said,
“I was raised with some trauma. We both have childhood trauma, of course, that we’re raised with. And it was different, of course. For example, I grew up, as you know, I am an amputee. So, I went through many different kinds of surgeries as a child. And so, that made me a warrior, in a sense. And her, Maya, she had the death of her mother, and all these tragic events that happened in her life. So, we both have different traumatic experiences.”
Regardless, Cox acknowledged that she and Maya both possess the ability to kick butt whenever needed, the “warriors” that they are. However, never in her life had Cox imagined that she would land this big an opportunity. She was still figuring out her ambition when life took a blissful turn. Echo will be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu, starting January 10th.
