All about Jennifer Garner’s fitness journey for the Elektra role in Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool & Wolverine, the third film in the Deadpool franchise, premiered on July 26, 2024, worldwide and was a box office success. Directed by Shan Levy, with Ryan Reynolds co-writing the screenplay, Deadpool & Wolverine marked the official entry of Deadpool and Wolverine into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has become the second-highest-grossing film of 2024, with over 852 million dollars worldwide.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine. Discretion is advised.

After Disney bought Fox back in 2019, this movie was the last in the series of Superhero movies by 20th Century Fox. Deadpool & Wolverine revived back a line of Fox-era Marvel superheroes, that included Chris Evans as Johnny Storm from Fantastic Four (2005), Wesley Snipes from the Blade franchise, and Channing Tatum as Gambit, from a movie that was never made.

Jennifer Garner reprised her role as Elektra. Garner first made her debut as Electra back in the 2003 film Daredevil, then got her standalone film Elektra in 2005. After 19 years, Garner returned to her role as Elektra in Deadpool & Wolverine.

On August 6, 2024, Garner shared a video on Instagram showcasing the training she had to get through. This has taken the internet by storm, with fans of Elektra hoping for more appearances in the upcoming Marvel films.

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Jennifer Garner shares her training experience as Elektra Deadpool & Wolverine

Garner conveyed that though she was physically active, she had to become "Marvel fit" to play the superhero back again. This meant getting back into a rigorous training routine that was planned by her trainer Beth J. Nicely. The training workouts involved regular workouts, boxing with coach FLVCO three times a week, and using the Peloton bike trained by her instructor Bec Gentry.

Garner recalled when, on the set of The Adam project, Sawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds came up with bringing Elektra back into the movie. In the video, it could be noticed that Garber had difficulty reconnecting with Elektra's signature weapon, the Twin Sais. She jokingly said,

"Other than trying to convince my kids’ preschool buddies that I was secretly a ninja, I hadn’t picked up Elektra’s sais since 2004; I was fit, but not @marvel fit."

In the post, she appreciated both the director of Deadpool & Wolverine, Shawn Levy, and its actor and co-writer Ryan Reynolds, for bringing her character back again. She expressed that the character was left somewhere in between and needed an ending,

"I didn’t know that 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"

Dafne Keen, who came back in the role of Wolverine's clone daughter X-23, commented, "Coolest woman." Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds made a post completely dedicated to Garner and her role as Elektra.

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Jennifer Garner's journey as Elektra

The Marvel comic character Elektra Natchios made its live-action debut in the film Daredevil, which was released by 20th Century Fox back on February 14, 2003. Written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson, the movie starred Jennifer Garner as Elektra working alongside her then-husband, Ben Affleck, playing the role of Matt Murdock, "Daredevil."

The Deadpool & Wolverine cast (Image via Instagram/vancityreynolds)

Elektra got her standalone movie Elektra, a spin-off of Daredevil (2003), which was directed by Rob Bowman. The movie came out on January 14, 2005, but was a box office failure, and received negative reviews from the critics for its storyline.

Garner reprising her role back after almost two decades in Deadpool & Wolverine, as a major surprise for the fans. Elektra, after struggling for years in the void with the major villain Cassandra Nova, was rescued back into Earth-616 in the ending of Deadpool & Wolverine.