There’s a reason why fans never heard of Alaqua Cox before she was cast as Maya Lopez/Echo in Disney+’s Hawkeye series. That’s because this is Cox’s first major role in Hollywood. Ahead of Hawkeye‘s series premiere later this week, Cox has shared the story of how she landed the role of a lifetime. Alaqua Cox shares.
During a feature in The Hollywood Reporter, Cox’s previous acting experience was described as “a background part in a high school play.” It also noted that Cox grew up on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin before working for Amazon and FedEx. However, Cox’s friends sent her the casting call for Echo which specified that the actress be “a female Native American who was deaf,” like her comic book counterpart.
Director Rhys Thomas also recalled preparing Cox for her audition.
“We met with quite a few people, and I had the fun of reading with Alaqua,” related Rhys. “I got to sort of help her get prepared and then got to present her to Kevin [Feige] and the team. I’m so grateful to them that they had the confidence. She had never acted [professionally] before, but they said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
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Additionally, Cox recalled how the Hawkeye creative team and Marvel executives let her know that she got the part. It started with a message that told her to sign on to Zoom immediately.
“I see about 12 people, including the Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, doing the deaf clap where you wave both your hands,” said Cox. “I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ and they said, ‘Welcome to the Marvel family!’ ”
Regardless of what happens in Hawkeye, Cox’s MCU future is secure. Earlier this month, Marvel confirmed that Cox will headline an Echo series on Disney+ some time in the near future.
Hawkeye will premiere its first two episodes on Disney+ on November 24.
Are you looking forward to seeing Alaqua Cox as Echo? Let us know in the comments down below!
Recommended Reading: Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon
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