Fans of the 2021 Hawkeye TV series will be happy to know that Native American Alaqua Cox has returned as Maya Lopez / Echo in her own spinoff five-episode series on Disney+ and Hulu. Echo premiered on January 9, 2024, and is in addition to its Hawkeye grounding, the first Marvel Cinematic Universe property to acknowledge the events of 2015’s Daredevil, according to the show’s producer, Brad Winderbaum. In Echo, Maya is on the run from her adoptive uncle, crime lord Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin (portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio) and his minions. This is about five months after the events in Hawkeye. She returns to her hometown of Tamaha, Oklahoma, where she must face the past, reconnect with her Choctaw Native American roots, and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward in life. Of course, things get interesting and exciting, which is what we all love!
Marvel’s Echo Cast and Characters
In addition to Alaqua Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, the cast of Echo also includes other talented actors and actresses, such as Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Charlie Cox, Devery Jacobs, Zahn McClarnon, Cody Lightning, and Graham Greene. We explore their series roles below.
Maya Lopez – Alaqua Cox
You probably recall Maya Lopez / Echo from her appearance in the 2021 Disney+ six-episode series Hawkeye, where she’s the deaf commander of her uncle Wilson Fisk / Kingpin’s Tracksuit Mafia. In other words, she was not one of the good guys. Hence, she’s more criminal New York than she is Native American Oklahoma when she returns to her hometown in Echo. Applauded for her performance in Hawkeye, Alaqua Cox is again recognized for her reprising role as Maya Lopez / Echo in Echo, and deservedly so. An ideal choice for Maya, Alaqua was born deaf and is an amputee with a prosthetic leg. She was raised on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin and began her acting career when she was cast as Echo in Hawkeye. That’s what we call good casting, and we bet we see a lot more of Alaqua in the future!
Henry “Black Crow” Lopez – Chaske Spencer
It gets a bit complicated for Maya’s uncle, roller-skate rink owner Henry “Black Crow” Lopez, when she returns home, and he finds himself having to confront things he’d ignored and is not yet ready to face. After all, he has had and still has ties to Kingpin’s criminal empire. Henry Lopez is portrayed by another Native American actor, Lakota Sioux Chaske Spencer. Chaske made his film debut in 2002’s Skins, but you probably remember him from the Twilight films or The English, for which he was nominated for a British Academy Television Award. Chaske has also appeared in many other films and television series, such as Sneaky Pete, Blindspot, Wild Indian, Shouting Secrets, Winter in the Blood, and Hero Pose, for which he won a SOFIE Award. So, he’s been around and he’s good. We can’t wait to see what he does next!
Chula – Tantoo Cardinal
Because of her anger following the death of her daughter and Maya’s mother and Maya and her father leaving, Maya’s grandmother Chula’s relationship with Maya is not good, to say the least. It continues to fester and then evolve and rollercoaster throughout the Echo series as the two are forced to cooperate in the battle against Kingpin and his men. Chula is portrayed by Cree/Métis actress Rose Marie “Tantoo” Cardinal. (Don’t you just love seeing all these Native American and Canadian actors and actresses in a movie? We sure do!) She says she first learned to act walking behind her own grandmother. Tantoo is no doubt known to you, having appeared in almost 50 movies and over 40 television films and series! Her accolades include a Genie Award for Best Actress nomination for Loyalties and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nomination for Killers of the Flower Moon. Is it any wonder she was chosen for Echo? We think not.
Daredevil – Charlie Cox
English actor Charlie Cox (no relation to Alaqua Cox) is the talented thespian who lends his skills to the role of Matt Murdock / Daredevil in Echo… and you’ll be glad he does! Again playing the part of the blind lawyer from New York’s Hell’s Kitchen while also leading the hidden life of a vigilante, you’ll see him in Maya’s flashbacks to when she fought Daredevil while in the employ of baddie Fisk/Kingpin. You’ll also find him in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series on Disney+. So, you see, it all kind of ties together. But you might also recognize Cox from his many other film, TV, and stage appearances; his portfolio is quite extensive. For example, he won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Boardwalk Empire and a Helen Keller Achievement Award for Daredevil, as well as various other nominations. But the list goes on and on: plays such as Betrayal and The Lover and the Collection; TV series like The Theory of Everything, The Defenders, She Hulk, and Treason: and films such as Stardust and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Nuff said? Yup, we’re lucky to have him in Echo.
Bonnie – Devery Jacobs
Bonnie (her name perhaps, a nod to Bonnie Castle) was a close friend of Maya when she was growing up. Strong willed and resilient, she’s Maya’s cousin and the child of deaf adults in Echo. However, that relationship turned sour later when Maya left home, and Bonnie always wanted to restore the friendship they once had. Fortunately, they do reconcile later, and Bonnie joins the anti-Fisk campaign. Actress Devery Jacobs’ real name is Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs (in English – how cool is that?!) and she fills the role of Bonnie. Devery is no newcomer – she’s a Mohawk actress, writer, and director. If you don’t know her yet, you will. Winner of an American Indian Film Festival Award and nominated for other acknowledgements, including two Critic’s Choice Awards, she’s been a pleasure to enjoy in The Dead Zone, Assassin’s Creed, Mohawk Girls, The Order, Reservation Dogs, What If?, and others. Devery is a keeper and she’s going places. You should follow her. Trust us.
William Lopez – Zahn McClarnon
Who is William Lopez? Well, in Echo, he’s Maya’s dearly departed father, and he used to be the commander of the Tracksuit Mafia – before Maya. His death at the hands of that evil uncle of hers, Wilson Fisk, is what caused her disaffection with Kingpin and the dark side. William Lopez is portrayed by Zahn Tokiya-ku McClarnon, and if you’ve ever watched the Western crime drama Longmire, you already know how good he is. (Actually, one of our favorite characters therein.) Hunkpapa Lakota and Irish by ancestry, you’ll also recall him from Fargo, Westworld, Reservation Dogs, Dark Winds, and Hawkeye, to name a few. But his film and television credits are extensive, ranging from his voice in My Neighbor Totoro and Robot Chicken to roles in Baywatch, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Dangerous Minds, and Medium. He’s versatile, and he’s just the professional Echo needed.
Biscuits – Cody Lightning
Biscuits – now, there’s a name for you. It refers to Maya’s loyal and fun-loving cousin, and sometimes sidekick, who helps make her life a little less serious. He’s a member of the Choctaw people, but Cree actor and filmmaker Cody Lightning plays his part. Cody is an American Indian Film Festival Best Actor Award winner for Four Sheets to the Wind, but you may have seen him in other films such as Geronimo, Smoke Signals, Run Woman Run, or Hey, Viktor (which he also wrote and directed), among others. We like him in Echo, and we think you will, too.
Skully – Graham Greene
Not all members of Maya’s family are completely estranged to her when she returns home. Grandfather Skully, owner of the local pawnshop, would like to move forward and improve their relationship, and as the series develops, we find him giving Maya a new prosthetic leg and encouraging Chula to reach out to Maya. Skully’s part is played by the inimitable Graham Greene, a very familiar face to moviegoers and TV viewers alike. Graham is a Canadian First Nations (Oneida) actor with honors that include an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Dancing with Wolves, Gemini, and more industry and other awards, and even a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. He’s appeared in many films such as The Green Mile, Wind River, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Maverick, and Thunderheart, as a well as a host of television movies and shows: The Last of Us, Reservation Dogs, Longmire, Defiance, Lonesome Dove: The Series, Murder, She Wrote, L.A. Law, etc., etc. As always, he’s a joy to watch as Skully in Echo.
Wilson Fisk / Kingpin – Vincent D’Onofrio
Finally, here’s the big baddie of the piece… and we know how you love villains. Crime boss and unfortunately, Maya’s adoptive uncle, Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk fills that role admirably, as does Vincent D’Onofrio who plays his part. Maya discovers he’s responsible for her father’s death, and she shoots him in the eye. Hence the eye patch he wears in Echo. But he’s still alive, and she takes off, only to be pursued by him and his thugs. Does Kingpin soften up some during the series? You be the judge of that. Actor Vincent Philip D’Onofrio’s credits and accolades are too numerous to mention here. With lead and supporting roles in TV and movies, he’s been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, a New York Film Critics Circle Award, an Independent Spirit Award, a Saturn Award, a Blockbuster Entertainment Award, an MTV Movie Award, and more. Perhaps you saw him in Daredevil, Hawkeye, Full Metal Jacket, Men in Black: The Series, Jurassic World, or Law & Order: Criminal Intent. But again, there are way too many to mention. Suffice it to say, a better villain there is not.
One interesting and encouraging sidenote is that D’Onofino, Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop), and some other members of the cast and crew took American Sign Language classes, and some department heads actually traveled to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma to learn more about the language and culture of the Choctaw people. Talk about authenticity!
Will There Be an Echo Season 2?
Well, that’s a good question. We certainly hope so. Here’s what we know so far:
Per Wikipedia, actor Vincent D’Onofrio stated in November 2022 that Echo would lead into the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again, and Marvel Studios was interested in using Echo more and began developing new ideas related to its street-level heroes. According to another source (ELLE), Disney+ is delivering, offering fans a second season of the hit show Echo. Polygon confirms this. That said, Season 2 and the details regarding it remain unconfirmed right now. Cross your fingers, watch the current Season 1 episodes (over and over wouldn’t hurt), and hope for the best. We’re with you!
