In 1981, writer and artist Frank Miller reinvigorated Marvel’s Man Without Fear with a seminal run on the Daredevil ongoing series that is widely regarded as the best take on that character. In his first issue as the writer, Miller introduced Elektra, the former girlfriend of Matt Murdock (a.k.a. Daredevil) who reentered his life as a deadly assassin.
Elektra quickly became a breakout character, and Miller secured a rare promise from Marvel’s editors to stop using Elektra after he had wrapped up her story. For several years, Marvel abided by this agreement, but later editors and ownership groups decided to revive Elektra…much to Miller’s annoyance.
According to Bleeding Cool, Miller voiced his disapproval about the situation again at Comic Con Experience Brazil last weekend. When asked about actress Élodie Yung’s Elektra (pictured above) from the upcoming second season of the Daredevil Netflix series, Miller replied “They can call it whatever you want, but it will not be the real Elektra… Yes, I’m her father.”
Miller went on to admit that he hasn’t actually seen the Daredevil series, which was heavily influenced by his work. The all-black costume that Daredevil (Charlie Cox) wore through most of the first season was inspired by a design that Miller and John Romita Jr. used in the Man Without Fear miniseries in the early ‘90s.
While the details about Miller’s original deal with Marvel aren’t fully known, it’s believed to be more of a “gentlemen’s agreement.” Marvel owns the Elektra character, and the company is within its rights to use her. On the other hand, Miller has every right to be angry about it. He is personally responsible for Elektra’s creation, and she remains one of the most popular female characters in Marvel’s comic book universe.
Daredevil Season 2 will debut on Netflix in 2016, as Yung becomes the second actress to play Elektra after Jennifer Garner. Now, if Miller wanted to say that Garner’s Elektra wasn’t the real deal, fans would probably agree with him! But it’s too soon to dismiss Yung without seeing her in action.
Are you looking forward to seeing Elektra in Daredevil Season 2? Share your thoughts below!
