Jennifer Garner wishes Elektra got to be a part of Kevin Feige’s MCU

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Before Jennifer Garner got into the routine of playing the likable mom in most of her recent efforts, she was once on the path of being a legit action star. Garner got her big break on J.J. Abrams' action spy series Alias and that put her in the sights of 20th Century Fox and Marvel when they were casting 2003's Daredevil. The actress landed the role of Elektra Natchios and ended up being one of the good things about a rather mediocre movie. Wanting to turn that good thing into something successful, Garner was given her own spinoff film and the result was 2005's Elektra, widely considered one of the worst comic book films of all-time. The actress is making the rounds promoting her new Netflix film Yes Day and, during an interview with "The Hollywood Reporter", she's admitting that she's sad she missed out on being a part of Kevin Feige's MCU. She credits the producer for elevating the comic book movie genre which was something that wasn't in place during her time playing the Marvel assassin.

"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."

Daredevil received mixed reviews upon release but it was moderately successful at the box office, grossing $179.2 million worldwide against a budget of $78 million. Garner's turn as Elektra, while not the most definitive, was well-received by most critics and fans who felt that she demonstrated a lot of potential in the role. This is largely the reason that 20th Century Fox went with a standalone film for the character with 2005's Elektra but the end result was something that fell flat on its face. Garner once again receive positive notices but many critics thought the film was too self-serious and it ultimately registered a dismal 11% rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes. The box office also failed to deliver, grossing $24.4 million at the domestic box office and $56.6 million globally against a reported budget that ranged from $43-65 million.

Garner's time as the character ended after the failure of Elektra and both of the Marvel films she appeared in were released during a time before Marvel and Disney made making successful comic book movies look completely effortless. Garner deserved a better shot with the character because she definitely had potential and I can't blame her for wishing her Marvel movies were overseen by someone like Feige who has cranked out films under a more consistently solid umbrella.

Do YOU think Jennifer Garner deserved a better shot during her time as Elektra?