It Was “Like a Dream” For Jennifer Garner to Return as Elektra in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’
The Big Picture
- Elektra’s return in
Deadpool & Wolverine
was a result of artistic serendipity with Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy. - Garner trained intensively for her role as Elektra, including boxing and practicing with the twin sai.
- Garner says returning to the character of Elektra Natchios was “like a dream.”
Among the numerous cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine, one of the bigger ones was Elektra, played by Jennifer Garner. Eletrka’s role, a seeming continuation of her role from the 2004 film Elektra. Even after evading the answer to Collider’s Steve Weitraub late last year, we did indeed get to see Elektra Natchios on our screens again.
Now in a post to social media, Garner has posted a reel titled “Becoming Elektra”, featuring a series of clips recounting her experience training to put the suit on once again. The video begins with Garner indoors swinging Elektra’s iconic twin sai. In the caption, Garner says she hadn’t picked up the sai, a defense weapon typically used in Okinawan martial arts, since the 2004 movie.
Elektra Returning in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Was the Result of Some “Crazy Artistic Kismet”
Garner says the idea for her to return to the role actually came from an idea shared with Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy on the set of The Adam Project. Reynolds and Levy, of course, would go on to pair up for Deadpool & Wolverine. Garner, who also starred in the movie, says “they gave each other this look they have that can communicate an idea, 20 pages of dialogue, nuclear codes— there is a crazy artistic kismet between these two.”
The video continues with Garner training during what she calls a #SuperHeroSummer. She says she, along with her stunt double Shauna Duggins, “amped up” training. She says they had boxing 3 times a week, and were “twirling sais in the backyard and laughing at our sore old bodies.”
The positive spirit of returning to Elektra didn’t stop there. Garner had nothing but good things to say about working with Levy and Reynolds for a second time. She calls returning to the role “an impossible dream that became reality.” Garner says, “I didn’t know Elektra and I needed an ending, but Shawn and Ryan did.”
“They are gifted in many ways, but seeing and elevating people around them is at the top of the list.”
“Shauna and I were in heaven on set,” Garner says. “Shooting the fight was so fun, being all there together— truly like a dream… [t]hank you doesn’t cut it, guys, but it’s a good placeholder until I figure out what does.” Her Deadpool & Wolverine costar, Ryan Reynolds, echoing her sentiments, also posting to social media on Monday saying Garner is “not only one of my favorite performers, she’s one of my favorite people. I love her and I will now and always owe her one. Or five. What a baller. #ElektraForever.”
Deadpool & Wolverine is now playing in theaters.
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