Lauren Ridloff and Alaqua Cox, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first deaf heroes, pose together in a perfect Eternals and Hawkeye crossover. Over the next few years, the MCU will be taking major strides to improve the diversity of its characters. Ridloff and Cox will debut later this year as the franchise's first two deaf heroes, with Ridloff's Eternals currently slated to arrive first. The Walking Dead star will play Makkari, a member of the titular group who has superspeed at her disposal. Her abilities were glimpsed in the first Eternals trailer, which premiered just a couple of months ago.

Meanwhile, Cox will play Maya Lopez for the Disney+ series Hawkeye. Expected to premiere sometime in late 2021, the show will center on Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye following the events of Avengers: Endgame. It will also introduce two potential successors to his legacy: Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and Maya, who is also known as Echo. She's guaranteed to stick around for a while, as an Echo spin-off was put into development back in March.

Related: Echo: What To Expect From The MCU's Hawkeye Spin-Off Show

Ridloff and Cox teamed up recently for an excellent behind the scenes shot heralding their upcoming MCU debuts. While neither of them appear to be in costume, there's no denying it's exciting to see them together. "Echo and Makkari looking at you, Fall of 2021," Ridloff wrote, having been the one to share the picture. Fans better brace themselves. Check out the post down below.

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2021 is proving to be a year of firsts for the MCU. In addition to introducing its first deaf characters, the franchise made headlines recently for revealing Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to be its first bisexual character. Eternals will continue the LGBTQ+ rep through Brian Tyree Henry's character Phastos. Additionally, September will see the release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the MCU's first movie with an Asian lead. After years of focusing on almost exclusively straight white men, the franchise is starting to open its world up more, and it's exciting to see.

Right now, most of Marvel's promotional efforts are focused on Loki, Black Widow, and, as of this week, What If...?, so it's going to be a bit longer before fans get to learn more about Makkari and Echo's projects. Seeing Ridloff and Cox pose together is an exciting look at the MCU's future, and they will surely be excellent additions to the franchise. Eternals and Hawkeye will give them both time in the spotlight, though aside from Echo's spin-off, it remains to be seen what the future holds for them. Only time will tell.

More: Marvel's Eternals Powers Explained: What Each Team Member Can Do

Source: Lauren Ridloff/Instagram