Star of Marvel’s ‘Echo’: ‘Dreams don’t have limitations’

Friends of 26-year-old Alaqua Cox told her to give it a shot though there were “issues.” Her only acting role was in the background of a high school play. Plus, Hollywood was pretty far from the Menominee Indian Reservation where she grew up. Cox was also born deaf and is an amputee with a prosthetic leg.

But she auditioned and, a few months later, got invited to join a Zoom call where the news was “mind blowing.”

“It has been a crazy ride,” says Cox, whose life changed with a recurring part in 2021’s “Hawkeye” series. The role was a no-nonsense superhero named Maya Lopez/Echo who fights crime, turning disabilities into abilities.

“Most of the time, it’s hearing people who take these roles, but finally authentic representation is here,” says Cox, who has an interpreter by her side during a Zoom interview from the Disney set. “I’m excited for this chance to show that people like me can do anything. Everyone else seems excited by it, too.

“It’s especially important for kids to see that dreams don’t have limitations.”

The character was so popular that now Cox is the star of her own series, “Echo,” debuting Tuesday on Disney+ and Hulu. It’s an origin story for this Cheyenne fighter who killed baddie Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) — or so she thought — in “Hawkeye.” Echo faces old enemies and her own demons in the series, which also stars D’Onofrio, Graham Greene and Cody Lightning.

Mom to a baby boy born in October, Cox is poised to become Marvel’s next big star. Her good life tips:

Prove yourself

A few years ago, the idea of a superhero on a blade leg might have given Hollywood pause. Not anymore. Cox, who wears a prosthetic lower right leg, says that all she wants is to prove there are no limits in life. “People like me can do it all,” she says. “We fight. We flip. We run. We fall. We fight. I can’t wait for people to say, ‘I can’t believe she can do that.’ I think my prosthetic as a superhero is one of her coolest things.”

Ready for a challenge

Her prep to play a superhero was an active life. Cox doesn’t discuss why her leg was amputated but says the aftermath involved staying active. “I didn’t let anything stop me from playing six different sports growing up,” she says. “Plus, I have an older brother who helped me become more of an athlete because he’s an athletic person. We wrestled growing up, which also toughened me up.”

On the set, her stunt training included “choreography, jabs, fights and specific moves,” Cox says. “It was fun and challenging. The fighting was the greatest part of the project. I really got to prove myself.”

Believe in yourself

Even though she wasn’t sure about a career in acting, Cox tried out for the role of Echo. Then she waited and waited for news while working at Amazon. How did she find out she got it? She was invited to a Zoom call in which 12 Disney execs were also online. “I saw 12 people, including Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, doing the deaf clap where you wave both of your hands,” she recalls. “I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ And they said, ‘Welcome to the Marvel family!’ ”

Her reaction? She screamed and ran to tell her grandfather and then jetted next door to tell the rest of her family.

Later, Cox was filming “Hawkeye” when she was floored to hear that her Echo was getting a spinoff series. “I was like, ‘Whoa! Are you kidding me? My own show! Why me?’ I was so new to the acting world. I guess you need to expect the unexpected in life. You have to believe in yourself.”

Support system

On “Hawkeye,” Cox was immediately welcomed by co-stars Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld, she says. “I was overwhelmed being on set for the first time, and they were a wonderful support system.” Renner and Steinfeld also learned American Sign Language. “Friends are out there waiting,” Cox adds.

Secret skills

“Deaf people have great visual skills,” says Cox, who adds that she can catch almost anything. “When I was training to play Echo, they were like, ‘Oh, wow, you’re a fast learner and you can really catch.’ I was like, ‘Well, I just watched you.’ ”

‘Everyone is a warrior’

“I was raised with some trauma,” Cox says. “As you know, I’m an amputee. I went through many different kinds of surgeries as a child. I believe that made me a warrior, in a sense. … You deal with things. My character Maya experiences the death of her mother. Tragic events happen. Everyone is a warrior in some way, but it proves that we’re tough. We’re all badass.”

Represent

Cox, who grew up on the Menominee Reservation in northeast Wisconsin, acknowledges that as a child she thought superheroes were mostly white men. “I’m so proud to be able to represent a platform that is uplifting voices for Indigenous people,” she says. “Finally, we have authentic people being picked for these roles. It’s great for the fans because it says that you don’t have to be just one way to be a hero. I also want to advocate for the deaf community.”

‘Take that chance’

“It’s crazy how much my life has already changed,” Cox says. “I worked at a warehouse. But you don’t have to let what you’re doing now limit you. I was always so excited to show people who I am and what I can do … what anyone can do. You just need to take that chance.”