Hugh Jackman won’t be the only one bringing his Marvel character out of retirement for “Deadpool 3.” Jennifer Garner is also returning to star as Elektra in the Ryan Reynolds starrer, according to reports.
Garner, who was most recently seen in Apple TV+’s “The Last Thing He Told Me” and hasn’t played the role in nearly 20 years, will reprise her Elektra in the Shawn Levy-directed sequel.
If your understanding of Garner’s superhero past is a little foggy the steely assassin in 2003’s “Daredevil,” which starred Ben Affleck as the titular Hell’s Kitchen lawyer-turned-vigilante in a film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. While the film underperformed, Fox was still so impressed with Garner’s performance that they gave her a solo movie — 2005’s “Elektra,” directed by Rob Bowman.
More recently, the character, created by comics legend Frank Miller, was played by Élodie Yung in the Netflix series “Daredevil” and “The Defenders.” Considering how Charlie Cox’s Daredevil has reentered the mainstream Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s possible that Yung could also return as the MCU’s version of the character.
“Deadpool 3,” currently slated for release next May, is the first since Marvel Studios gained control over the characters previously overseen by Fox. (Disney completed its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019.) The movie will once again star Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth, with a supporting cast that includes Jackman and franchise staples Morena Baccarin, Leslie Uggams, Brianna Hildebrand, Rob Delaney and Stefan Kapičić.
Not much is known about the next installment, but Garner’s presence (not to mention the fact that Jackman’s Wolverine was very much dead at the end of “Logan”) suggests that there could be some multiverse shenanigans. (Fittingly, “Deadpool 3” is being released during an era that Marvel Studios has dubbed The Multiverse Saga.)
The screenplay for the new film was handled by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Reynolds and Levy. Levy is coming off of two projects that starred Reynolds — 2022’s time travel adventure “The Adam Project” and 2021’s video game extravaganza “Free Guy.”
The Hollywood Reporter first broke the news of Garner’s casting.