DAREDEVIL Gets His Elektra
Marvel has announced a second casting decision for the second season of Daredevil: Elodie Yung will join the cast as Elektra Natchios, the Greek assassin.
Mentioned in the episode “Nelson vs. Murdock” during the flashbacks to college days, Elektra was the Greek student in Matt’s Spanish class, the only reason he was in the Spanish class. But she was a passing mention, an Easter egg that promised a payoff at some point in future seasons.
Yung played Jinx in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, perhaps her highest-profile project to date. She has a black belt in karate and has a law degree from the University of La Sorbonne in Paris.
“After a worldwide search, we found in Elodie the perfect actress to embody both Elektra’s impressive and deadly physicality, as well as her psychological complexity,” said Executive Producer and Head of Marvel Television, Jeph Loeb. “Paired with Charlie as Matt Murdock, the two will bring one of the most beloved and tumultuous comic book relationships to life with all the accompanying sparks and spectacular action sequences the show is known for.”
Created by Frank Miller, Elektra first appeared in Daredevil #168 (January 1981), and she quickly became a fan favorite. A romantic foil for Daredevil, Elektra is an assassin and mercenary who was originally a one-off character. She’s since become the lead in her own Marvel title more than once, and has also appeared in the pages of Wolverine and Thunderbolts.
It’s this last title that could be fodder for her broader inclusion into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. During the Marvel NOW! re-launch of titles, a new Thunderbolts team (usually comprised of villains) was formed by the government. This team included Red Hulk, Deadpool, Elektra, Agent Venom, and Punisher.
In June, Marvel announced the casting of Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher, who will factor heavily in season two of Daredevil. And William Hurt will return in Captain America: Civil War as General “Thunderbolt” Ross, who ends up as a Red Hulk in the comics. And now that Marvel and Sony have a deal in place for the Spider-Man characters, is it only a matter of time before Flash Thompson suits up as Agent Venom?
That would only leave Deadpool in the lurch, but given the rumor that’s circulating about a possible co-operative venture between Marvel and Fox…
… nah.
