Alaqua Cox as Echo in Hawkeye highlights deaf culture in the MCU and is part of Marvel's much needed, larger push for diversity in Phase 4.

Warning: SPOILERS for Hawkeye episode 3, "Echoes."

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is making a big push for representation in Phase 4, which is why it was so important for Hawkeye to cast a deaf actress for Echo. Played by Alaqua Cox, who is herself a deaf person, Echo is introduced in Hawkeye as Maya Lopez, the deaf leader of the Tracksuit Mafia who is seeking revenge on Ronin for killing her father. In the comics, Echo’s deafness is an important part of her character, causing her to use her other senses to develop photographic reflexes, which allow her to perfectly replicate any skill just by watching.

In Hawkeye, the Echo actress first appears in episode 2, “Hide and Seek,” as an antagonist for Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), starting out in the world of organized crime, just as she did in the comics. She mistakes Kate for Ronin, the alter-ego that Clint used in Avengers: Endgame during the Blip to hunt down and eliminate dangerous criminals all over the world. In Hawkeye, Echo wants revenge for her father, who was killed by the Ronin while working for the organization run by “Uncle,” an unseen boss that is likely to be revealed as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a Kingpin. In this series, Clint’s deafness, which is a trait he has in the comics, is finally revealed. It makes sense for Marvel to introduce an antagonist who is deaf in a series that finally includes representation for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

While the on-screen representation of characters who are deaf and hard of hearing is important on its own, it's also important that Echo is being played by a deaf person in Alaqua Cox. Though there hasn’t been a lot of emphasis on people with disabilities in the past three phases of the MCU as part of the story, quite a few of the heroes heavily featured in previous movies and series have been differently-abled in some way. However, few of the actors have been people with the same disability or congenital disorder as their characters. Being deaf herself, Alaqua Cox’s portrayal of Echo is representation for the deaf community both on-screen and off, which allows Marvel to bring a level of authenticity to the character. Cox’s casting, as well as the casting of fellow deaf person Lauren Ridloff, who used sign language in Eternals, also shows that actors with disabilities are more than capable of delivering compelling performances on screen.

MCU characters with disabilities tend to use high-powered tech that makes their disability almost completely invisible. Marvel hasn’t had the best track record for showcasing disability accurately. Notably, the MCU received criticism for almost completely ignoring Rhodey’s (Don Cheadle) paralysis following his battle injury caused by Vision (Paul Bettany) in Captain America: Civil War. Decisions like these are why people with disabilities are so adamant about having characters with disabilities also played by actors who share the same ones. Alaqua Cox’s understanding of deaf culture, such as showing Echo using ASL and lip-reading, brings authenticity to Hawkeye's Echo that would be missing with a hearing actor. It also proves that disabilities such as Cox’s don’t limit what a person is able to achieve.

Phase 4 is a big course correction for the MCU, bringing in more characters that reflect the world around us. They have introduced more characters of color, including Shang-Chi, their first Asian lead, and Eternals introduced Phastos, the first openly gay superhero in the MCU. With the upcoming Disney+ series Echo, Alaqua Cox will not only be playing Marvel’s first deaf lead, but she will also be the first Native American character and actor to headline a Marvel series and it's sure to factor into Echo's story post-Hawkeye. Cox’s casting as a deaf person is a door opener. It allows fans to see themselves in not only a character on screen, but also in an actor who is living proof of what they can achieve.

Marvel has a diverse world of characters in their comic book universe. The MCU moving more towards diversity is inevitable. The Echo series will likely explore more of Maya Lopez as a character, but the Hawkeye series, with its street-level focus and hard-of-hearing main character, was the perfect place to introduce Echo. By casting a deaf actress in Alaqua Cox to play a deaf character, they brought another level of much-needed diversity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

More: Who Is Echo's Uncle? Yes, It's Who You Think It Is!

Hawkeye releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.