Echo’s Alaqua Cox & Vincent D’Onofrio discuss working together and being a part of the new Marvel series.
Echo, the Hawkeye spin-off series, dives into the life of Maya Lopez (aka Echo) after the events of Hawkeye. Last fans saw her, she shot Kingpin in the face, hoping to free herself from his claws. This five episode series brings back both Alaqua Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio as Echo and Kingpin, respectively.
During the global press conference in support of the new Marvel limited series, Alaqua Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio discuss working on the show. They reveal how they relate to their characters, and what they respect about them, as well as what it was like working together more in depth.
Echo’s Alaqua Cox & Vincent D’Onofrio Talk New Series
When asked about bringing her character to life, Alaqua explains that Maya is a deaf indigenous person who has a biological family and an adopted family. She’s trying to reconnect with her family after finding out that her adopted family, her uncle specifically, betrayed her. “She went back to reconnect with her biological family and try to rediscover a more complicated and deep life that she did live, and rediscover family. So, I’m hoping that she can learn, and we can all learn, how she rediscovered family.”
Alaqua explains that she is similar to her character, Maya, as she was raised with some trauma as well. “We both have childhood trauma,” she confesses, “As you know, I am an amputee. So, I went through many different kinds of surgeries as a child. That made me a warrior, in a sense. And her, Maya, she had the death of her mother, and all these tragic events that happened in her life. So, we both have different traumatic experiences.” Alaqua says that this makes them similar, in that they are both badass, tough, warriors.
Echo features a lot of intense stuntwork, and has a dark and gritty feel that we haven’t seen from Marvel in a while. Alaqua admits that she grew up playing many sports, and she has an older brother who helped her become an athlete and toughened her up, so she was well prepared for filming.
“Then, when I did get the role, I had a stunt training team. About five days a week I would go to the training, and it was a lot. I learned so much as well. ‘Cause growing up in sports, there wasn’t a lot of stunt specific thing in sports, so stunt training was a whole new world to me. I was able to learn choreography, jabs, fights, and those specific moves, and that was so fun, and very challenging as well. But that was the greatest part of the project.”
Fans were thrilled to see Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, come back to the Marvel family. But specifically, they were excited to see Vincent D’Onofrio in the role again. When asked what he thinks it is about his character that makes him so compelling, he says that beginning with the Netflix show, there was really good writing to bring him forward in a new way. “My version of what they did in the original comics and then, now in Echo, it’s just more good writing and without the writing I can’t really do much other than show up.”
Vincent admits that Echo is the first time since the Netflix Daredevil show that he’s actually felt like we brought Fisk into Maya’s story, but in a way that Fisk is best portrayed. “It’s very similar to the way it was in the original series, and that’s very exciting for me because it has a more grittier feel to it and it’s a more emotional story with me and Alaqua’s character, Maya.”
In regards to working with Alaqua, he says that she is so impressive. “The truth is she’s so present. The girl knows what she’s doing. I was impressed every day, and it was amazing.” He claims that when the camera started rolling, he was able to react off her and her off of him. “I felt like we were very fortunate to be able to portray these characters as a father-daughter, or a niece-nephew, however you want to say it, kind of relationship, whereas we’re bringing forward this kind of intensity in their just normal relationship that might have some trepidation in it like real life, like people deal with every day.”
On top of that, adding in the iconic Marvel, good and evil, aspect, and the combination of those two things, plays well, according to Vincent. “It’s all grounded in real emotions, yet you have these dynamic characters in the situation as well.”
Echo is streaming exclusively on Disney+ and Hulu starting January 9th at 6:00pm PT.
NEXT: What If… ? Season 2 Offers More Unique Stories
About Echo
Marvel Studios presents “Echo,” spotlighting Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) as she is pursued by Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) criminal empire. When the journey brings her home, she must confront her own family and legacy.
“Echo” also stars Chaske Spencer (“Wild Indian,” “The English”), Graham Greene (“1883,” “Goliath”), Tantoo Cardinal (“Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Stumptown”), Devery Jacobs (FX’s “Reservation Dogs,” “American Gods”), Zahn McClarnon (“Dark Winds,” FX’s “Reservation Dogs”), Cody Lightning (“Hey, Viktor!” “Four Sheets to the Wind”) and Vincent D’Onofrio (“Hawkeye,” “Godfather of Harlem”).
Episodes of the series are directed by Sydney Freeland (Navajo) and Catriona McKenzie (Gunaikurnai). Executive producers are Kevin Feige, Stephen Broussard, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Victoria Alonso, Richie Palmer, Jason Gavin (Blackfeet), Marion Dayre and Sydney Freeland. Co-executive producers are Jennifer L. Booth and Amy Rardin.
Echo drops all five episodes on Disney+ & Hulu January 9th at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.