Elektra (Live-Action Marvel Universe)

"I like your bracelet, by the way. Do you know what those are? Here. They're warrior beads. They're from Indonesia. Centuries ago, you had to be the best fighter in your village to earn them."

- Elektra

Elektra Natchios is the deuteragonist in the 2003 superhero film, Daredevil, and the main protagonist in the 2005 film the same name which the film has met with mostly negative reception from critics. She is the love interest of Matt Murdock/Daredevil who is known to have peak athletic abilities, martial arts skills, and enhanced agility.

She is portrayed by Jennifer Garner, who also played Sydney Bristow and Jenna Rink.

Her Past
Elektra Natchios was known as orphan, her mother give her a necklace with a Braille inscription after her mother died.

Daredevil (2003)
In the present day, Matt meets Elektra, the daughter of Nikolas Natchios, a businessman who was dealings with Wilson Fisk, a rich executive who is also the criminal leader known as the Kingpin. When Nikolas tries to bail on his dealings with Fisk, the mobster hires the Irish hitman Bullseye, who has preternatural aim, to kill him. Matt was trying to stop Bullseye, but Bullseye ultimately succeeds in killing Nikolas, and framing Matt in the process.

Elektra would meet to exact revenge, while reporter Ben Urich discovers his secret identity. Believing Matt to have done good things for Hell's Kitchen, Urich tells Matt that Bullseye is going after Elektra next. Matt tracks Bullseye, but is also attacked by Elektra, who plans to use her own training in martial arts to avenge her father's death. When she manages to remove his mask, she discovers Matt's secret identity and innocence. Forced to fight Bullseye alone, Matt is respected by Elektra and she is overpowered and killed by Bullseye.

Elektra (2005 Film)
After died in the previous film, Elektra is resurrected by a blind martial arts master Stick. But she is brought to his training who while compound to learn Kimagure, an ancient martial arts discipline that provides its practitioners with precognition as well as the ability to resurrect the dead. Elektra is soon expelled because of her inability to let go of her rage. It was here that she leaves and uses her training to become a contract killer. However, in years later, Elektra must infiltrates a heavily guarded area, that she kills the guards, and manages to slay her target DeMarco. Elektra's agent McCabe receives an unusually large offer from an anonymous client wishing to hire Elektra's services. The only stipulation; she must spend a few days in a rented home on the island where the assassination is to be performed before the names of the targets are revealed.

During the waiting, Elektra finds a girl named Abby who is tried to swipe Elektra's necklace and Elektra sends her away. While meditating, Elektra meets and befriends Abby's father Mark Miller. Abby later invites Elektra to dinner on Mark's behalf. Later that day, Elektra discovers that Abby, much like Elektra herself, has obsessive-compulsive disorder. Elektra develops a romantic interest in Mark, but soon learns he and Abby are the targets she has been hired to kill. Elektra spares them and leaves, but later returns in time to protect them from assassins sent by The Hand, a crime syndicate of ninja mercenaries. Meanwhile, Roshi, master of The Hand, learns of the failed attempt and permits his son Kirigi to lead a new team of assassins that was try to kill Elektra and return with Abby, referred to as "The Treasure". So Elektra tries to leave Abby and Mark with Stick, but he scolds her into protecting them herself. She then drives Mark and Abby to McCabe's country house, but is followed by Kirigi, Typhoid, Stone, Kinkou, and Tattoo.

Elektra flees with Mark and Abby through a secret underground exit to the orchard, while McCabe sacrifices himself to allow them to escape. Kirigi and the assassins hunt down Elektra, Mark, and Abby in the forest nearby. Elektra manages to kill Stone, while Abby and Mark kill Kinkou with one of his own daggers. As Elektra is distracted by the revelation that Abby has be using martial arts skills, Typhoid gives Elektra the "Kiss of Death". Abby is captured by Kirigi. Suddenly, Stick and his Chaste ninjas arrive, forcing Kirigi, Typhoid, and Tattoo to retreat. Actually, Stick manages to save Elektra from death and takes them under his protection. Stick confirms Abby is a martial arts prodigy which is the "Treasure" of martial arts whom the Hand seek to use. Elektra is already had learns that she was a Treasure herself and her mother was a casualty of the fight between The Chaste and The Hand with her as reason. She also learns that Stick set up the murder contract on Mark and Abby in order to test Elektra's propensity for compassion. Elektra astrally projects herself to a meeting with Kirigi and challenges him to a fight; the winner claiming Abby for their own purpose. However, Elektra must returns to her childhood home to face Kirigi, and finally remembers he was her mother's killer.

Elektra was defeated by Kirigi, but Abby arrives and engages him long enough for Elektra to recuperate. Elektra and Abby they are escape and hide in a hedge maze but are separated when Abby is captured by snakes dispatched by Tattoo. Elektra is usually to finds Tattoo and kills him, saving Abby in the process. Elektra engages Kirigi a second time and manages to kill him. Typhoid poisons Abby, the same way she did to Elektra earlier, killing her in the process. Elektra also kill Typhoid and successfully resurrects Abby, overcoming her rage. When Mark comes to take Abby, he and Elektra kiss and go their separate ways. However, Elektra must leaving the grounds of her childhood home for the final time, she meets Stick and the two exchange words to each other. Elektra departs, knowing Abby and Mark will be safe.

Trivia

 * For the role of Elektra, many actresses were looked into with considerations including Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek, Natalie Portman, Lucy Liu, Jessica Alba, and Katie Holmes. A short-list was eventually made, giving the choices of Jennifer Garner, Jolene Blalock, Mía Maestro and Rhona Mitra. Garner finally becoming the actress to land the role. Garner said of the character, "I think she's strong and cool and beautiful and smart. She'd be a good role model." Garner noted the costume would be different, as Elektra in comics often wears red satin but in the film wears black leather. Garner explained, "The red would never have worked for hiding a harness, and I know this sounds ridiculous, but you have to protect your skin a little bit. They throw me around so much on the rooftop [that] I got cut through the leather, so imagine if I hadn't had anything."
 * Jennifer Garner portrays Elektra in Daredevil and Elektra. She is the only actor to appear in both films.
 * Jennifer Garner is currently married to Ben Affleck who portrayed the title character and Garner's on-screen love interest in Daredevil until they separated in 2015.
 * In their big fight scene, Jennifer Garner accidentally kicked Ben Affleck so hard in the head, that he briefly blacked out.
 * Eliza Dushku was considered for the role of Elektra.
 * Jennifer Garner wore green contact lenses over her brown eyes for her role as Elektra.
 * Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek, Natalie Portman, Lucy Liu, Jessica Alba, Katie Holmes, Mía Maestro, Rhona Mitra, Jolene Blalock, and Neve Campbell were considered for the role of Elektra.
 * Natassia Malthe auditioned for the role of Elektra Natchios. She would go on to play the role of Typhoid in the spin-off Elektra (2005).
 * Jennifer Garner reportedly told a journalist that she felt this movie was terrible, and that she only filmed it because of contractual obligations from Daredevil (2003).
 * While filming the sai/sword fight, Jennifer Garner accidentally got her knuckles sliced by Will Yun Lee. She got her knuckles patched up, and when she and Lee resumed, he subsequently sliced her again in the exact same spot.
 * Although the comic strip Elektra usually wears a pair of large gold hoop earrings as part of her costume, Jennifer Garner did not wear them in the movie. A pair of earrings were provided as part of Jennifer's costume, but she was unable to wear them as they were for pierced ears and she did not at the time have her ears pierced.
 * Jennifer Garner filmed this movie while on summer hiatus of her television series Alias (2001).