Marvel Studios’ first project of 2024, Echo, is being released on Disney+ and Hulu in just a few days. The new series is set to follow Maya Lopez/Echo (Alaqua Cox), the character who was first introduced in the MCU in Hawkeye. Echo first debuted in the comics in 1999 in Daredevil #9 and was created by David Mack and Joe Quesada. While the MCU’s version of Echo is set to be a little different from the comics character, there are still some important similarities. Maya is deaf in both the comics and the Marvel shows, which is something Marvel recently honored with a sign language poster. Today, Mack took to Twitter to praise the new poster.
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“I love that they are using the sign language of her name the way I did in the comics. Thanks for supporting my work! & for the great response to ECHO,” Mack wrote with a link to his Vimeo showreel. “My creation of ECHO on Disney+ Jan 9.” You can check out the post below:
Echo Director Talks Show’s “Authenticity:”
During a press event for Echo, director and executive producer Sydney Freeland spoke about the importance of representing both the deaf community and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
“Authenticity, I think, well, I think it started in the writer’s room was having very much, it’s a multi-pronged approach,” Freeland answered when asked what was most important to her when making Echo. “It’s like we had to have Native representation. That was a must. We had to have deaf representation. That was a must. So it really started within our writers, our writer’s room. And then I think with, obviously when I came on board, then we tried to keep that energy going, but we had Native people throughout the behind the scenes and front of the camera as well. But I think another big thing that was important to us is the Choctaw, our partnership with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Early on in the process, once we kind of had our pilot script, we took a trip. It was myself and my department heads, and one of the great things is that none of them have ever been to a pow before.”
She explained, “And I think what I realized in that moment was, which I think rarely happens in my experience with being portrayed in Native films, is going to the people and getting their partnership basically it was crickets on the side of the table and basically I said, ‘No, no, we’re not here to tell you what we’re going to do. We are here to create a dialogue so that we can get your input and create a more authentic portrayal of the Choctaw people and culture.’ Because again, also speaking for myself, I’m Navajo, I’m not Choctaw, I don’t speak Choctaw, I’m not Choctaw culture, but that was one of the big things that was important for us was creating a dialogue with the Choctaw Nation and getting their support.”
Echo is being released on Disney+ and Hulu on January 9th. The show will leave Hulu on April 9th.
