Before she became a hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Alaqua was working in an Amazon warehouse in Wisconsin. Her friends saw a Disney+ casting call for a Native American and Deaf actress, and she decided to audition since she was a perfect match and had never seen anyone like her on TV before. Her life would never be the same: she landed the role as Maya Lopez on Hawkeye, joining the MCU on her first-ever acting job.