As part of the D23 Expo 2022 presentation for Marvel, fans got a glimpse into the Disney+ slate, as Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and cast members from Ironheart, Secret Invasion, Armor Wars, Echo, Season 2 of Loki, Daredevil: Born Again, and the first-ever special Werewolf by Night talked about what to expect from their characters in the years to come. First introduced to Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), aka Echo, as an antagonist in Hawkeye, audiences will soon get a chance to know the character better when she faces her past and reconnects with her Native American roots in her self-titled series. Debuting in 2023, her co-stars will include Vincent D’Onofrio, Devery Jacobs, Graham Greene, Cody Lightning, and Chaske Spencer.

After the presentation, show star Cox briefly spoke to Collider on the press line for this 1-on-1 interview about unbelievable the experience of getting to be a Marvel superhero is, when she found out she’d be getting her own series and who she spilled the secret to, learning about acting on a job of this scale and scope, the craziest thing about being on set, and what she thinks fans will respond the most to with Echo.

Collider: What’s it like to get to be a superhero? Is it anything like you ever imagined it would be?

ALAQUA COX: I never imagined this. It’s Marvel. Being a superhero is a big term and a big word to use, but when I got the role, I was so happy that they hired me because they want to show authentic representation of a deaf and Indigenous person. I’m deaf and Indigenous, so it’s just an amazing experience to go through. And getting my own show, it’s just been so amazing. My co-workers have been amazing through the entire time, too.

Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez sitting down and looking tired in the TV series 'Echo'
Image via Disney+

When you did Hawkeye, did you know that you would be getting your own show? Did you know this was always coming?

COX: I found out in the middle of filming Hawkeye. I was like, “What?!” Hawkeye was my first role, ever. I was like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I wish that they had told me after filming. I had barely figured out was going on. I was trying to get into the acting world. And then, in the middle of filming, I was like, “Oh, my gosh!” My mind was blown. I texted my family immediately. They told me to keep it a secret, but I couldn’t do that because I had to tell my family. Of course, I never told Marvel. But I was so excited. It was really a mix. I was overwhelmed, at the time. I was like, “Oh, my gosh, my own show? Why me?” But now it’s here and I’m really happy to have this opportunity.

Being a fan yourself, what’s been the craziest moment on set?

COX: I learned so much. I remember watching a movie and I thought it was just one or two takes, but there are so many different angles and different setups that we have to do. I was like, “Oh, my gosh, we’re doing this over and over again?” I didn’t realize that it’s not ever just one time. It takes days sometimes to film scenes. Action-packed scenes can take weeks to film. That’s something that I learned on set. That was very surprising to me, but I did get used to it. I’m getting there.

hawkeye-alaqua-cox-maya-lopez
Image via Disney+

What do you think will surprise fans about your character in Echo that we didn’t get to see in Hawkeye?

COX: The authentic representation, first and foremost, is very awesome. I grew up seeing white superheroes who were mostly men. Now that we have this authentic representation for people of color, it’s so nice to see that change in representation. I think that’ll be a nice surprise for the fans, to see that authentic representation. And I have a prosthetic leg, which is probably one of the coolest things in the show, as well.

And she’s a badass.

COX: Yeah, thank you!

Echo will be available to stream on Disney+ in 2023. Check out the trailer from Hawkeye down below, where Echo first appeared: