Who is Echo? MCU’s latest villain, explained
The first few episodes of the Disney + series Hawkeye finally streams on small screens everywhere. The series not only tries to bring to life one of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s original Avengers, but also introduces fans to Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), a beloved character from the Marvel comics. However, Kate is not the only fan-favorite cartoon character to appear in Hawkeye. Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), aka Echo, appeared for the first time at the end of episode 2, “Hide and Seek”.
The section ends with Clint (Jeremy Renner) and Kate captured by the tracksuit mafia. After Clint demanded to speak to their “manager”, viewers got their first glimpse of the band’s leader, Echo, bathed in red light and surrounded by speakers Depeche Mode‘Christmas Island’. The character reaches out to feel the vibrations through a speaker before staring directly into the camera as an evil version of The office. Escrow credits.
While it may not look like it is from her villainous introduction, Echo is actually a well-known heroine within Marvel Comics. Since her first appearance in 1999 in Daredevil Vol. 2 # 9 from author David Mack and artist Joe quesada, Echo has become an essential part of Marvel’s more grungy street level fighters with connections to key heroes like Daredevil, Moon Knight and of course Hawkeye. The character even has his own Disney + show on the way. All that means you’ll be seeing a lot of Maya Lopez in the future and now is the perfect opportunity to learn a little more about the character.
Who is Echo?
Maya Lopez, a member of the Cheyenne tribe, was born deaf and raised by a single father. Unknown to the girl, Maya’s father worked as an enforcer for Detective Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin. At Fisk’s order, Maya’s father was shot and died in front of her. In his last moments, the man reached up and stroked his daughter’s cheek, leaving a bloody handprint that would stay with Maya well into the future. After her father’s death, Kingpin began raising the girl as his own and sent her away to an expensive school for children with disabilities. There, Maya found a passion for dance and music, a task she performed using a newfound skill set: the ability to perfectly mimic everything she saw. As long as she witnesses it, Maya has the ability to physically copy it.
Fish used this to his advantage and tricked Maya into believing that his longtime rival, Daredevil, was killing her father. Maya then assumed the name “Echo” in reference to her ability to mirror actions. In revenge, Echo decorated his face with a white handprint in honor of his father and went after Daredevil. Eventually, Fisk’s lies came to light, and Daredevil inspired Echo to use his abilities for good. Since then, Echo has participated in several superhero team-ups, comic book events and has interacted with many of Marvel’s most iconic characters. Currently, Echo is the acting host of the Phoenix Force and features in its own comic book title, Phoenix sang: Echo.
Why Echo is in ‘Hawkeye’
While Echo does not appear in the cartoon that inspired the Disney + series (Matt fraction and David Ajathe glorious 2012 run), there are a few different explanations for the character’s presence. After her first appearance as Echo, the character took on the role of Ronin, the same identity that Clint Barton used in MCU. In the comics, Maya was the first to put on the ninja-themed attire before later passing on the identity to Clint Hawkeye. Right now, the MCU origins of Ronin are largely unknown, and Clint is the only character known to wear the suit. There’s no way of knowing if the show plans to include Echo’s comic book history with the identity, but the connection is interesting given the show’s focus on costume.
Echo also has a long history with Clint himself. After hanging the Ronin identity on, Maya joined The New Avengers – an updated version of the world’s greatest heroes. Due to her backward nature and new to the world of superheroes, Echo had trouble finding her place among the team. After a surprise attack, Maya is comforted by Clint, who assures her that she has friends on the team. Shortly after, the couple developed into a romantic relationship until her departure from The New Avengers. Given that MCU Clint has been married for a long time, there is a high probability that we will not see an adaptation on the screen of their romance. Still, the comic connection between the couple suggests that Echo and Hawkeye may not remain enemies for long.
What Echo’s introduction means for the MCU
Alaqua Cox’s role as Echo marks a major shift in on-screen representation within the MCU. Follow Lauren Ridloffs debut as Makkari in Eternal, Cox is only the other d / deaf actor to play ad / deaf character in the franchise. Cox is also Native American and even amputated, giving a much-needed authenticity to the Marvel universe.
Cox stressed the importance of realistic representation in an interview with EW. “The deaf community supports this role enormously because they want to see deaf people represented in these deaf roles,” she said. “Most of the time, it’s hearing people who take on these roles, but finally, the authentic representation is here.” In the same interview, Cox assured the world that her disability in no way disrupted her performance in the action-packed show. “People with a disability like me can do anything: We can fight, we can turn, we can fall. I’m excited about people saying, ‘Wow, can she?'”
Hawkeye will also not be the last audience to see of Cox’s Echo. The actress is slated to star in Disney +’s upcoming film Echo series. The show has yet to find a release date, so it’s unknown how exactly Echo will fit into the future of MCU, but the series marks a number of historic developments for the franchise. It will be the first MCU project led by a native, the first Disney + show to be directed by an ad / deaf actor, and one of Marvel’s many upcoming projects planned to play a female protagonist.
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