Marvel's Echo is a one-of-a-kind superhero – and an inspiration to the Deaf community
Retrieved on:
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Deaf actress Alaqua Cox plays the eponymous superhero, a character she already portrayed in the Hawkeye series in 2021.
Key Points:
- Deaf actress Alaqua Cox plays the eponymous superhero, a character she already portrayed in the Hawkeye series in 2021.
- The uppercase “Deaf” refers to deaf people who share a language, identity and culture.
- It is important that Deaf actors play Deaf characters in TV and film so that audiences engage with authentic depictions of disability.
- They learn ASL at school or college or through Deaf friends, because visual communication is important for Deaf people’s cognitive and social development.
- There, she enrols in martial arts classes and begins developing some of the skills that will define her as a superhero.
Nuanced characters
- Daredevil (who has a Marvel television series of his own) is a blind lawyer and superhero with super-human senses due to an accident involving radioactive chemicals.
- In the series, Maya is at one point called on to fight against a rival gang.
- Unexpectedly, Daredevil (Charlie Cox) intervenes and gets into a fight with Maya.
- Superheroes with a disability are rarely portrayed in comic books and this scene in the series marks a positive step towards inclusive representation.
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Kevin Buckle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.