One of my big complaints about Deadpool & Wolverine, Elektra's non-comic-accurate suit, has recently been addressed by Marvel. I enjoyed the most recent MCU movie as much as the next person, from Deadpool & Wolverine's cameos to the way the film still managed to tell an engrossing, emotional story despite its multiversal setting. Via these cameos, Deadpool & Wolverine's Easter eggs also shined through, notably via the comic book accurate costumes of the many Wolverine variants, Blade, and Channing Tatum's Gambit.
That said, I was somewhat annoyed with the lack of a similarly comic book-accurate costume for Jennifer Garner's Elektra by the time of Deadpool & Wolverine's ending. Although the suit Garner wore for her return to Marvel still looked great, it was different from what those familiar with the character have come to expect. Whether this will be rectified in upcoming Marvel movies should Garner return remains to be seen, yet Marvel has recently revealed exactly why Elektra's suit was so different from the source material.
Why Elektra's Costume Isn't Comics Accurate In Deadpool & Wolverine
Color Clashes & Needed Social Progression Resulted In Elektra's Costume Being Changed
The reveals about Elektra's suit from the movie 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 outfit. When commenting on Elektra's new look, Garner stated:
"A lot of superheroes wear red, but, of course, Deadpool is in red. So Elektra's gone a bit more berry, like a gray berry, which I love. So it's a different costume, a lot less skin. Elektra always had a lot more midriff showing, which we wouldn't need that now. That's not necessary. Elektra's had three kids."
Given that the movie focuses on Deadpool as its main character, it makes somewhat sense that the creators would want to avoid a color clash with Elektra. In the comics, Elektra is known for her black and red costumes, the same color scheme as Deadpool. That said, it is likely the decision to make Elektra's suit less revealing than it was in 2005 took precedence when designing Garner's return to the role. With Garner outlining these changes, I can certainly understand why Elektra's suit is as it is in Deadpool & Wolverine, though I still believe more comic accuracy could have been implemented.
How Deadpool & Wolverine Could've Made Elektra's Costume More Comics Accurate
Without making Elektra's costume black and red and more revealing in Deadpool & Wolverine, the film could have included elements from the comics to make it more accurate. This was proven in Deadpool & Wolverine's Elektra concept art, which allowed for a more comic-accurate costume while still allowing Garner to be more comfortable during filming than she might have been 20 years ago. While the concept art implements Elektra's red and black color scheme, this suit could have been used in the more purple tone from Deadpool & Wolverine.
The elements from this concept art that link more to Elektra's comic book outfits are the arm coverings and the bandanna. Elektra's bandanna is arguably the most iconic part of her various comic book appearances and is certainly the primary thing I think about when picturing the character. Including the headband for Garner's Elektra in Deadpool & Wolverine would have added a lot to her costume, both adding more comic accuracy while avoiding the Hollywood issue of covering an actor's face.
Where the arm coverings are concerned, Elektra's comic book designs often show her wearing wraps of some kind on her forearms. In Deadpool & Wolverine, Garner wore gauntlets of sorts with a singular band around the top of her arm. If the more loose, flowing wraps from the comics, or indeed Deadpool & Wolverine's concept art, had been implemented alongside the other changes from the movie and the bandanna, my comic accuracy complaints would have been almost entirely dissolved.
I Hope Marvel Gives Us A More Comic-Accurate Elektra Costume One Day
Overall, this is simply my way of saying I hope we get a comic-accurate Elektra costume in the MCU's future. As I alluded to above, the MCU could certainly do this without sacrificing the progression the character received in Deadpool & Wolverine from a revealing standpoint. Marvel Studios is no stranger to making fantastic comic-accurate suits for its female characters while leaving out the more problematic aspects from the source material. Characters like Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, and Captain Marvel have proved this, and Elektra could follow suit.
The elements I mentioned, the bandanna and arm coverings, could be implemented into any future variants of Elektra that appear in the MCU. Whether it be the return of Garner's version from Deadpool & Wolverine via the multiverse or another iteration - such as Elodie Yung's Elektra who could reappear in Daredevil: Born Again - there is an avenue for a more comic-accurate suit to be included. Hopefully, should Elektra return after Deadpool & Wolverine, I'll get my wish.
