Elektra Natchios will be a changed woman, the next time that we see her. While the primary focus of Netflix’s upcoming The Defenders miniseries is naturally the four members of the titular team, they are far from the only cast members – as nearly every supporting character of consequence from prior seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist will also be making an appearance during the grand team-up spectacle. One of the most important to date is Elektra Natchios, a fellow protege of Stick who Matt Murdock fell madly in love with, despite their different philosophies of life.
A common part of Daredevil’s backstory, Elektra tends to alternate between a friend and a foe, similar in some ways to the antagonistic yet often romantic relationship between Batman and Catwoman. She served that same purpose during Daredevil season 2, working both for and against Matt’s goals on different occasions. Her biggest struggles were against her urge to kill, one that Matt of course vehemently disagreed with. Elektra earned her redemption though, sacrificing herself to save Matt from The Hand.
Related: The Defenders Will Complete Iron Fist’s Arc
Unfortunately – or fortunately, depending on your perspective – Elektra won’t be gone for long, as The Hand were shown making preparations to resurrect her as their ultimate weapon, The Black Sky, near the end of Daredevil season 2. When asked how Elektra’s role will differ in The Defenders, actress Elodie Yung told Cinema Blend that she’ll almost be a “completely new character.” Here’s her full quote.
“It was a great idea. I think they got really inspired by the comics. Elektra dies and comes back in a new outfit, and she’s changed. It was a really cool and interesting thing to have Elektra again, just being a completely new character. Almost, because she doesn’t remember anything. And so exploring kind of a new character was exciting for me. So this is where we start. And then Alexandra takes over this new Elektra and forges her the way she wants her to be, if that makes sense. So that’s the start.”
At this point, little is known about the background of Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver), the lead villain of The Defenders. If she’s the one pulling Elektra’s strings now though, clearly she has some connection to The Hand, or at least a level of power and influence that allows her to acquire the services of their greatest weapon. Of course, Stick never really stopped to explain exactly what the Black Sky would specifically do once unleashed, so it remains to be seen how Alexandra plans to use her.
On the other side though, one imagines that Matt won’t be eager to fight Elektra, even once she’s come back from the dead and been brainwashed by evil. His love for Elektra was arguably the primary cause of the implosion of Matt’s budding relationship with Karen, so it’s doubtful that such strong feelings will just be able to be put aside in service of The Defenders’ overall mission. From the sound of it though, Elektra 2.0 won’t harbor any similar feelings for him, so the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen better get used to being stabbed by sais.
NEXT: Marvel’s The Defenders Early Reviews
Marvel’s The Defenders premieres on August 18, followed by The Punisher season 1 later this fall. Premiere dates for the new seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist have yet to be announced.
