Elektra returns: Jennifer Garner reportedly reprising her role after nearly two decades

Jennifer Garner is reportedly reprising her role as Elektra. After nearly 20 years, the actress will play the Marvel Comics’ assassin anti-heroine for Deadpool 3, starring Ryan Reynolds. The Hollywood Reporter broke the new Friday citing multiple sources.

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Elektra first appeared in the film “Daredevil,” released in 2003. Garner portrayed the character in this film, alongside ex-husband Ben Affleck as Daredevil/Matt Murdock.

Elektra had her own spin-off film titled “Elektra,” which was released in 2005. The movie focused on Elektra’s solo adventures and further explored her character outside of the Daredevil storyline.

© Twentieth Century Fox

It’ll be a chance for Garner to reclaim her disappointment with the film’s release and treatment of Elektra’s story. Garner was one of the few women to lead a studio comic book movie at the time.

The film received mixed reviews from critics and has been described as a failure, but her portrayal of Elektra was generally praised for capturing the character’s physicality and complexity.

She told The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s such a shame, honestly, because once Kevin took over everything there was elevated: the writing, the direction, the comedy inside of the stories they were telling… And I did not have that experience.” She said, mentioning Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, since October 2019.

The casting means Garner is likely in training mode, as the role requires martial arts to portray the skilled assassin.

The Marvel Studios’ production is currently shooting with Reynolds playing his role as Wade Wilson, a former Special Forces operative who now works as a mercenary. He transformed into Deadpool after an evil scientist Ajax (Ed Skrein) tortures, disfigures, and transforms him.

It’s an epic cast, with Hugh Jackman coming out of Marvel retirement to play Wolverine once again.

As noted by THR, it is the first movie featuring characters that once belonged to Twentieth Century Fox. Fox-owned several silos of Marvel’s characters before its acquisition by Disney in 2019. The deal brought the movie rights to the characters back into Marvel.