Last month, Marvel released their limited series Echo about the origin story of antihero Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), and her journey breaking away from the influence of longtime Marvel universe villain Kingpin. The show earned the number one streaming spots on both Hulu and Disney+ the week of its release, probably because even people who generally steer clear of the multiverse (hi, hello) had reason to be invested: Maya is an indigenous deaf amputee played by—get this!—an indigenous deaf amputee! The show is filled with authentic casting for both its deaf and indigenous roles, and featured two deaf writers in the writers’ room.

From my perspective, there’s a lot to love about Echo…and some things that aren’t so great. The show is the perfect exhibit of Hollywood’s brightest spots and biggest pitfalls today, and there’s much to learn here, but will they take away the right lessons?

The Pros
Alaqua Cox is a complete badass. She is strong, serious, and perfect for the role of Maya/Echo. She’s also a person who’d never really considered acting before a role that actually matched her multicultural experience was created. Authentic casting works! Representation works! And though it’s easier to cast existing stars into roles, creating these new roles is also the way to find new stars-to-be.