Back in June, we reported on a rumor that Marvel was searching for a "deaf female, Native American, First Nations, Indigenous or Latinx, 18 or older" actress to play an “independent, athletic and bright” 20-something character in an upcoming project.
Not many established Marvel Comics characters fit that description, so speculation understandably pointed to this being Daredevil supporting player Maya Lopez, aka Echo, and we may now have confirmation.
According to The Illuminderdi, Echo will appear in the Disney+ Hawkeye series as one of the main characters. No details about how she'll factor into the plot have been revealed, but there's a chance she may start out as an adversary of Clint Barton's given their shared association with the Ronin mantle in the comics.
Created by David Mack and Joe Quesada in the late '90s, Echo was first introduced as a Daredevil villain before switching allegiances and reinventing herself as a hero. She reemerged in 2005 and took up the mantle of Ronin for Brian Michael Bendis' New Avengers run, before going on to befriend and work alongside the likes of Wolverine and Moon Knight.
What do you guys make of this development? Hawkeye is currently scheduled to begin shooting next month (barring any COVID-related delays), so we should learn more soon.