Marvel’s 2005 Flop ‘Elektra’ Becomes a Netflix Hit After Jennifer Garner’s cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine

Once dismissed as one of Marvel’s biggest misfires, Elektra is now surging on Netflix — thanks to nostalgia, social buzz, and Jennifer Garner’s return in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Nearly two decades after its release, Marvel’s 2005 film Elektra is experiencing a surprising second life. The Jennifer Garner-led spinoff of Daredevil has climbed to number three on Netflix’s global streaming chart, outperforming recent hits like Happy Gilmore 2 and trailing only KPop Demon Hunters and My Oxford Year.

Directed by Rob Bowman and based on the Marvel Comics character Elektra Natchios, the film originally bombed at the box office, earning just $57 million against a reported $65 million budget. Critics were equally harsh, giving it an 11% score on Rotten Tomatoes. But in 2025, Elektra has become a streaming sensation — fueled by nostalgia, viral TikTok edits, and Jennifer Garner’s surprise return to the role in Deadpool & Wolverine.

In the 2024 multiverse mashup, Garner reprised her role as Elektra in a cameo that saw her fighting alongside Deadpool and Wolverine as part of a resistance group. Though her screen time was brief, fans praised her performance and fight choreography, which included swordplay and boxing sequences she trained extensively for. Her character’s implied death in the final battle offered a fitting send-off — or perhaps a setup for future multiverse appearances.

The renewed interest in Elektra has sparked conversations about Marvel’s early cinematic missteps and how characters once written off may still have a place in the evolving MCU. Marvel Studios has hinted that Elektra and the Hand remain on their radar, though no official plans have been announced.

For now, Elektra is streaming on Netflix in most territories and on Disney+ in the U.S., giving fans old and new a chance to revisit one of Marvel’s most unexpected comeback stories.