Marvel Studios made a great many changes to Echo during post-production, explaining why the six-episode series ended up arriving on Disney+ as a five-part adventure for the Hawkeye character.
We've been hearing rumblings for a while that the original idea was for Maya Lopez to sport her ancestor's facial tattoos/markings when her powers emerged and a new behind-the-scenes photo confirms they were cut from the finale. That was shared by Alaquea Cox's stunt double, Caitlin Dechelle, on Instagram.
It's unclear why Marvel Studios decided against heading down this route, particularly when it would have brought the MCU's version of Maya more in line with her comic book counterpart.
The Hollywood Reporter recently caught up with Cox to discuss her MCU role and learned that she struck up a friendship with fellow deaf actress and Eternals star Lauren Ridloff. She played Makkari in the movie and her husband, Douglas Ridloff, was Echo's ASL master.
"Yes, I have. I got to know her when I was filming Hawkeye," the actress revealed. "All three of us lived in Atlanta, so we were able to hang out a few times. We got coffee here and there. We went to the park. We talked about her role as Makkari, and she knew I was feeling very overwhelmed at that time on set because it was my first time."
"So Lauren gave me some advice about her experience on set and what it was going to be like for me," Cox added. "So that was really nice to be able to get to know her in those moments. I really love that family."
It would be cool to see both characters eventually share the screen and there are already rumours swirling (from the trades this time) that Marvel Studios is making plans for Echo after the positive response to her series on Disney+ and Hulu.
Check out Dechelle's behind-the-scenes photo from the set of Echo below.
Echo spotlights 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.
The five-episode streaming event 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).
The series is directed by Sydney Freeland (Navajo) and Catriona McKenzie (Gunaikurnai).
All five episodes of Echo are now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.