Highlights
- Director Sydney Freeland shares that the Echo series will change the titular character’s powers from the comics, moving away from her ability to copy anything.
- The creative team decided to portray Echo as a member of the Choctaw tribe from Oklahoma to create a more authentic representation of the character and avoid an “inauthentic backstory.”
- The efforts of the creative team to ensure authentic representation and the positive reaction to the first Echo trailer are relieving for fans, indicating that the series takes its responsibility seriously.
The Echo trailer debuted to stellar reactions from MCU fans. Now, director and executive producer Sydney Freeland has explained how the Marvel Studios series will change Alaqua Cox’s version of the titular character, Maya Lopez.
Alaqua Cox’s Echo made her MCU debut in Hawkeye as the leader of the Tracksuit Mafia, a New York City criminal organization working under Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin. As in Marvel Comics, Alaqua Cox’s Echo was the adopted daughter of Kingpin, but she was last seen shooting the mob boss point-blank after learning he orchestrated her father’s murder. Of course, the MCU took some liberties when adapting the comics, which continues with Echo in two key ways: the main character’s powers and her Indigeneity.
RELATED: Deadpool 3 Gets More Bad News Due To The Actors’ Strike
In the comics, Echo has photographic reflexes, meaning she has been granted the capability to imitate any actions that she has observed previously. This power was displayed in Black Widow villain Taskmaster, leading some fans to wonder if Echo was a former Widow herself. However, Freeland explained why the Echo series will change the character’s powers. “Her power in the comic books is that she can copy anything, any movement, any whatever. It’s kind of lame,” Freeland said at an Echo press event. “I will say, that is not her power. I’ll just kind of leave it at that.” Reputable scooper CanWeGetSomeToast added further information on Echo’s new powers in the MCU.
Maya will be empowered by the Choctaw women that came before her. She will have several different abilities that manifest when she’s threatened. Each power belonging to a different ancestor
One thing Marvel Comics fans know about Echo is that she is traditionally from the Blackfeet tribe. However, Freeland and the creative team decided to make Alaqua Cox’s Echo a member of the Choctaw tribe from Oklahoma. Per Variety, the reason for this change was that the comic source material resulted in a “hodgepodge” of imagery and an “inauthentic backstory for the character.” While Freeland is Navajo and grew up on the tribe’s reservation in New Mexico, and Alaqua Cox is a Menominee Nation citizen of Mohican descent, Freeland wanted to meet with the Choctaw Nation to receive their input. When they weren’t receptive, Freeland addressed their concerns.
Basically, I said, ‘No, no, we’re not here to tell you what we’re going to do. We’re here to create a dialogue so that we can get your input and create a more authentic portrayal of the Choctaw people and culture.’
After reports of the Echo series experiencing a troubled production, learning of the creative team’s efforts to ensure as much authentic representation as possible will likely relieve fans. While fans are excited to see Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and D’Onofrio’s Kingpin appear in Echo, the titular character has earned a fanbase of her own because of Cox’s powerful performance in Hawkeye. So, it’s relieving to know that the people behind the first superhero series to center on a deaf and Native American character took that responsibility seriously.
Another positive sign for the series is the first Echo trailer reactions. While many fans were unsure if an Echo series was needed, the first trailer and the promise of Marvel Studios’ first TV-MA rating seemingly won over former skeptics. Perhaps Echo could be the Andor of the MCU after all?
Echo is scheduled to premiere on Disney Plus and Hulu on January 10, 2024.
Source: Variety, CanWeGetSomeToast
Leave a Reply