One of my biggest complaints about Deadpool and WolverineElektra’s non-comic costume was recently approached by Marvel. I enjoyed the latest MCU film as much as anyone since Deadpool and WolverineThe film’s cameos still managed to tell an engaging and emotional story despite its multiversal setting. Through these special appearances, Deadpool and WolverineEaster eggs shined brightly, too, most notably through the comic book-accurate costumes of Channing Tatum’s many Wolverine, Blade, and Gambit variants.
That said, I was a little irritated by the lack of a comic book-like costume for Jennifer Garner’s Elektra back in the day. Deadpool and Wolverineis ending. While the costume Garner wore in her return to Marvel still looked great, it was different from what those familiar with the character expected. Whether this will be fixed in future Marvel films should Garner return remains to be seen, but Marvel recently revealed exactly why Elektra’s costume was so different from the source material.
Why Elektra’s Costume Isn’t Comics Accurate in Deadpool and Wolverine
Color clashes and necessary social progression resulted in Elektra’s costume change
Revelations about Elektra’s costume in the film came in Marvel’s recent documentary about its production, Assembled: The Making of Deadpool & Wolverine. During this documentary, Garner was interviewed at length about her return to the Marvel universe, even mentioning the differences in Elektra’s costume. Commenting on Elektra’s new look, Garner stated:
“A lot of superheroes wear red, but, of course, Deadpool is in red. So Elektra went a little more berry, like a gray berry, which I love. So it’s a different costume, with a lot less skin. Elektra has always had a a lot more belly showing, which we wouldn’t need now.
Given that the film focuses on Deadpool as the main character, it makes sense that the creators would want to avoid a color clash with Elektra. In the comics, Elektra is known for her black and red outfits, the same color scheme as Deadpool. That said, the decision to make Elektra’s process less revealing than it was in 2005 is likely to take precedence when planning Garner’s return to the role. With Garner outlining these changes, I can certainly understand why Elektra’s costume is the way it is. Deadpool and Wolverine, although I still believe more comedic precision could have been implemented.
How Deadpool and Wolverine Could Have Made Elektra’s Costume More Comic-Accurate
Without making Elektra’s costume black and red and more revealing in Deadpool and Wolverinethe film could have included elements from the comics to make it more accurate. This has been proven in Deadpool and WolverineElektra’s concept art, which allowed for a more comical costume, while also allowing Garner to feel more comfortable during filming than she would have been 20 years ago. Although the concept art implements Elektra’s red and black color scheme, this costume could have been used in the more purple shade of Deadpool and Wolverine.
The elements of this concept art that most closely link to Elektra’s comic book costumes are the arm coverings and the bandana. Elektra’s headband is without a doubt the most iconic part of her various appearances in the comics and is certainly the main thing I think about when I imagine the character. Including the track for Garner’s Elektra in Deadpool and Wolverine It would have added a lot to his costume, adding more comedic precision and avoiding the Hollywood issue of covering an actor’s face.
Most Hollywood films have to adhere to rules about removing helmets or face coverings from characters so that actors can better sell the film.
As far as arm covers are concerned, Elektra’s comic book designs often show her wearing some type of wrap on her forearms. In Deadpool and Wolverine, Garner wore a sort of gauntlet with a unique band around his arm. If the looser, more fluid wrappings of the comics, or even Deadpool and WolverineIf the film’s concept art had been implemented along with other changes from the film and the bandana, my complaints about comic book accuracy would have been almost completely dissolved.
I hope Marvel gives us a more comics-accurate Elektra costume one day
Overall, this is simply my way of saying that I hope we get a comic book-accurate Elektra costume in the future of the MCU. As I mentioned above, the MCU could certainly do this without sacrificing the progression the character received in Deadpool and Wolverine from a revealing point of view. Marvel Studios is no stranger to making fantastical, comic-accurate costumes for its female characters while leaving out the more problematic aspects of the source material. Characters like Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, and Captain Marvel have proven this, and Elektra could follow suit.
The elements I mentioned, the headband and arm coverings, could be implemented into any future Elektra variants that appear in the MCU. Be the return of Garner’s version of Deadpool and Wolverine through the multiverse or another iteration – like Elodie Yung’s Elektra, who could reappear in Daredevil: Born Again there is a way to include a more comical costume. Hopefully Elektra will return later Deadpool and WolverineI will make my wish come true.