ECHO Star Alaqua Cox's Vision for Maya Lopez's Future in the MCU; Wants to Join the Avengers
Echo star Alaqua Cox has a clear vision for the future of Maya Lopez, the character she portrays in the MCU. In a recent interview with Deadline, Cox shared her thoughts on where she hopes to see Maya's journey take her, and one thing she doesn’t want to see, is the character go back to New York City:
"I hope that she doesn't go back to New York City. I really hope not, personally, because it's just a horrible place for her to be [with] all those traumatic memories she has growing up, now that she's able to reconnect and open up more with her blood-related family, and she realized that they never left her side.”
The original ending of the series actually saw her go back to New York City, but that was all changed. It seems like that might have been a creative decision that she pushed for in the series. Echo has a complex backstory filled with personal struggles and a deep connection to her Native American heritage. Cox has a vision to see Maya remain close to her family in Oklahoma as a way to evolve the character's personal journey. She went on to say:
"She was gone for so many years. She ignored so many texts and phone calls and letters but the second she got back to Oklahoma, they wanted her right back. They were not resistant at all. It makes her realize 'Wow, my family has always been there for me.' I want Maya to reconnect with her family and get rid of New York and what happened in New York and Kingpin, but we'll see what happens.”
I like that Cox wants to explore Maya's emotional growth and family bonds. Echo's journey from a troubled past to a brighter future is a storyline that I think fans can get behind.
But, the actress also expressed interest in seeing the character cross paths with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. While Cox had previously mentioned her desire to see Echo meet Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, her recent interview revealed a new excitement—working alongside Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Incredible Hulk.
"Honestly, I wouldn't mind if Maya joined the Avengers. I think it would be so amazing to cross paths with other superheroes. I would love that. I think it would be very fun. I think it would be great to work with Mark Ruffalo, the Hulk. I love him as an actor and a person, because Mark is a huge advocate for Indigenous women. And he's from Wisconsin, and I'm from Wisconsin. So we have that in common. But Mark is just an amazing advocate for women, and I think it'd be amazing to work with him. I think that we would have a lot of things to talk about. I can just imagine those conversations already."
It’s fun to see Cox enthusiastic about a potential crossover with other characters in the MCU. I do hope that we see Maya Lopez back in action in the MCU. We have no idea what Marvel’s plans are for her right now, but I do like the character and it would be great to see her story arc continue to play out.