Maya Lopez, also known as Echo, is a character portrayed by Alaqua Cox in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise—based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Maya is depicted as a deaf Native American Choctaw and the commander of the Tracksuit Mafia, a criminal gang in New York City working for Wilson Fisk / Kingpin, who is Maya's adoptive uncle.
Maya had a confrontation with the vigilantes Daredevil and Clint Barton, who was her father's killer. During her confrontation with Barton and his ally, Kate Bishop, Maya discovered that Fisk had orchestrated her father's death. Maya escapes from New York, returning to her hometown in Oklahoma, where she's hunted by Fisk's organization, the Black Knife Cartel, though her family's lives would also be in danger.
Maya Lopez made her debut in the Disney+ miniseries Hawkeye (2021), prior to starring in her own spin-off miniseries Echo (2024). Darnell Besaw, Cox's cousin, played a young version of the character in both Hawkeye and Echo.
Concept and creation Background and development The Marvel Comics character Maya Lopez / Echo was created by writer David Mack and artist Joe Quesada, and made her first appearance in Daredevil vol. 2 #9 (December 1999). During the development of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series Moon Knight (2022) for Disney+, Marvel Studios was interested in including Maya in one of their projects. Because the character is a love interest of the series' protagonist, Marc Spector / Moon Knight, in the comics, the creator of Moon Knight, Jeremy Slater, and the writers considered using Maya that way in the series as well. However, she did not fit the story they were trying to tell and Marvel Studios eventually decided to use the character in their Hawkeye (2021) miniseries instead. This decision was supported by the Moon Knight creatives.
The development of Maya Lopez in the Marvel Cinematic Universe also emphasized authentic casting and creative involvement. Alaqua Cox, who is Menominee and Mohican and deaf, was cast as Maya Lopez after responding to a casting call, despite having no previous major acting experience. For the character's solo series, director Sydney Freeland said the production worked with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and used deaf writers, deaf consultants, an American Sign Language master, and deaf Indigenous actors to support the show's representation of Maya's background. Freeland, who is Navajo, also described the series as an opportunity to center Indigenous and deaf representation within a superhero story.
The production also adapted elements of Maya's on-screen characterization around Cox's own experiences. Cox has discussed how the series incorporated American Sign Language and Indigenous creative input, while also reflecting her experience as an amputee through the character's design and action scenes. Freeland said that the series also expanded Maya's family relationships beyond her father by including her mother, grandmother, and other relatives, which helped connect the character's conflict to family and community rather than only revenge. These choices helped distinguish the MCU version of Maya from earlier versions of Echo in Marvel Comics by connecting the character's abilities, identity, and physicality more closely to Cox's portrayal and to the series' focus on family, culture, and community.
Casting and appearances In June 2020, Marvel Studios began searching for an actress to portray a character named "Malia" for an upcoming Disney+ series. The production company was seeking a deaf Native American woman for the role. It was rumored that "Malia" was a codename for Maya Lopez / Echo. Deaf and amputee newcomer Alaqua Cox was initially hesitant to audition for the role of Maya, but her friends encouraged her to give it a try. Despite her doubts, she submitted a self-tape to Marvel's casting director Sarah Finn in 2020. She went through an audition process a few months later. Cox later received a message from a Marvel agent asking her to join a Zoom meeting. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige appeared during the call and informed her that she had secured the role. Cox's casting was officially announced in December 2020. Darnell Besaw portrayed a young Maya in Hawkeye. Besaw is Cox's real-life cousin, resulting in the younger version of Maya resembling Cox. The directors Bert and Bertie were enthralled to have a family connection between the two, with Bertie noting Besaw learned American Sign Language (ASL) for the role, and had "a wonderful naivety and charm to her that sets up the character in exactly the right way".
Following Cox's performance in Hawkeye, Marvel Studios decided to develop a spin-off series centered on Maya. Cox was informed about the spin-off Echo (2024) midway through filming Hawkeye; she was expected to reprise her role in Echo with the reveal of its development in March 2021, which was confirmed with the series' official announcement in November of the same year, during Disney+ Day. Additionally, Besaw reprised her role as a young Maya in Echo.
Characterization Bert and Bertie described the version of Maya seen in Hawkeye as "[having] been born of losing her father, and she reacts to things very emotionally and very in the moment". They said that Maya's life "became about revenge for her father's death" and noted how she had "spent her life driven by that moment when she loses him". On the set of Hawkeye, actors Jeremy Renner (who portrays Clint Barton / Hawkeye in the MCU) and Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop) used ASL to communicate with Cox. Regarding this, the actress commented, "I thought it was sweet of them putting in efforts to learn basic ASL to communicate with me. It means a lot to me as a Deaf person". Marvel Studios also hired deaf consultants and interpreters, even creating new terms in ASL to refer to characters from the MCU. Cox expressed her pride in the portrayal of Maya in the MCU, noting the strong support from the deaf community. She emphasized the significance of authentic representation, stating that "most of the time it's hearing people that take these roles, but finally authentic representation is here".
The character's portrayal in Echo further connects Maya's personal story to her Choctaw identity, family history, and return to Oklahoma. Marvel described the series as focusing on Maya being forced to confront her family, legacy, and heritage after returning home. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma stated that Choctaw historians, language experts, and cultural advisers were involved in conversations about how Choctaw people would be portrayed in the series. Entertainment Weekly also reported that the miniseries received a Choctaw language dub, which was developed through collaboration with the Choctaw Nation and connected to the show's emphasis on Maya's Native background.
The series also uses Maya's relationships with her family and community to distinguish her characterization from her earlier role in Hawkeye. Rather than focusing only on revenge, Echo presents Maya's return home as a way to explore how she responds to grief, belonging, and cultural inheritance. Sydney Freeland said that Maya's journey in the series is shaped by her need to reconnect with her family and community after distancing herself from them. The series' focus on Maya's ancestors, relatives, and Oklahoma hometown also connects her superhero identity to Choctaw history and community rather than presenting her powers as separate from her cultural background.
Echo explores the consequences of Maya's actions in Hawkeye and reveals her origin story. Echo executive producer Richie Palmer said that Maya's journey in the miniseries involves reconciling with her past and her cultural roots. Initially resistant to these connections, Maya eventually embraces them, which leads to the development of new powers over the course of the series. During the production of Echo, Cox used a vibration device controlled by an interpreter to signal when other actors had completed their lines. Echo stunt coordinator Mark Scizak was able to incorporate Cox's prosthetic leg into her fights, with Scizak describing Maya's fighting style as "a very grounded mix of MMA and a bunch of martial arts". Maya's hero suit in Echo was designed alongside Choctaw artists, who made sure it represented their people and still provided a "powerful reveal" upon its debut towards the end of the series. Cox explained that it features symbolism for happiness and power from Choctaw culture, along with bead work and gems that are meant to represent the skin from a western diamondback rattlesnake, "a very power animal" respected by the Choctaw.
Differences from the comics Maya's Indigeneity is reimagined for the MCU, having her be a member of the Choctaw tribe in Oklahoma rather than being from the Blackfeet Nation in Montana as in the comics. Unlike in the comics, she is not a love interest for either Clint Barton / Hawkeye or Matt Murdock / Daredevil, but rather an adversary for both. In the MCU, Maya does not become the vigilante Ronin, a mantle that the character was the first to wield in the comics. Furthermore, her MCU counterpart diverges from the comics as she faces Kate Bishop / Hawkeye, a character with whom she had little interaction in the Marvel Universe. In the comics, Maya is consistently drawn with a white handprint painted on her face, while in the MCU she does not, although the character is shown with a bloody handprint on her face in a scene from Hawkeye.
Maya's abilities also differ between the two versions. In the comics, Maya does not demonstrate supernatural abilities, but is a proficient fighter. For example, she can replicate the fighting abilities of anyone she observes perfectly; the MCU version of Maya does not possess this ability, with Echo director and executive producer Sydney Freeland finding it "kind of lame". In the MCU, Maya's Choctaw heritage is acknowledged as the source of her superhuman powers. She is notably able to call on the strength of her ancestors, communicate with them, and heal mental scars. Furthermore, Maya's code name, Echo, does not reference her ability to mimic movements, but rather emphasizes the idea of her ancestors' strengths resonating through her into the present day.
Fictional character biography Early life
In 2007, Maya Lopez is caught in a car accident with her mother Taloa, after criminals cut their car's brakes. After losing both her right leg and her mother in the accident, she moves from Tamaha, Oklahoma to New York City with her father William, whom Maya's grandmother Chula blames for the death of her daughter. William becomes a commander of the Tracksuit Mafia while his employer, crime lord Wilson Fisk, becomes Maya's adoptive uncle. Years later, Maya witnesses the vigilante Ronin assault the Tracksuit Mafia and kill William. Fisk arranges for Maya to work under him, promising to find William's killer. During a mission for Fisk, Maya is attacked by the vigilante Daredevil but fights him to a draw, which impresses Fisk.
Hawkeye
By 2024, Maya has taken over her father's old position as the commander of the Tracksuit Mafia and continues her search for William's killer. Her associates mistake Kate Bishop for Ronin due to her wearing his suit, and capture her along with Clint Barton. Upon meeting the two, Maya acknowledges that Bishop is not the real Ronin. Maya fights Barton and Bishop, and the two vigilantes manage to escape the Tracksuit Mafia after a car chase. Later, Maya confronts the pair again on the roof of a building near her apartment, but is injured by Bishop and forced to retreat. Maya battles Barton and Bishop, and the two vigilantes manage to escape the Tracksuit Mafia after a car chase. Later, Maya confronts the pair once more on the roof of a building near her apartment, but is injured by Bishop, forcing her to retreat.