It’s no secret that “Deadpool & Wolverine” is filled with some surprising superhero cameos. Honestly, they’re more than cameos, as they basically turn into supporting roles, with the likes of Elektra (Jennifer Garner), Blade (Wesley Snipes), Gambit (Channing Tatum), and X-23 (Dafne Keen) teaming up to battle Cassandra Nova in the Void, in an effort to give themselves a chance at a proper ending, even if it means their demise.
Thankfully, by the end of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” it seems like the Time Variance Authority may have figured out a way to get all of them back to their proper timelines, since we see X-23 hanging out with Wolverine and Deadpool back at Wade Wilson’s apartment with all of his friends. Sadly, other superheroes like Johnny Storm (Chris Evans, in a hilarious, filth-laden appearance) and Daredevil (played by Ben Affleck in a 2003 movie from 20th Century Fox) met their demise in a much less epic fashion, and they’re likely not coming back again anytime soon.
However, for those who were bummed that the Man Without Fear only got a harsh shoutout in the form of a joke alluding to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s real life divorce, you might be happy to hear that there’s a little nod to the Marvel hero in Elektra’s new costume. As revealed by one of the concept artists for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Elektra’s wardrobe includes a reference to the costume that Affleck wore back in 2003. Don’t be surprised that you didn’t notice, because it’s extremely subtle.
Elektra’s subtle nod to Daredevil in Deadpool & Wolverine
In the Instagram post, Baccallado explained that he wanted to do a version of Elektra that would “incorporate design elements and aesthetics that match better the MCU style as we know it now.” Furthermore, he noted, “Costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo wanted her to be powerful and sexy but without showing bare skin, so we kept away from exposing any mid drift and other feminine cliches from heroines from the past.”
While the final version we see on-screen ended up losing the sleeves, presumably to let Garner move around much easier, especially while wielding her dual sai, everything else looks very close to what ended up in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” As for that nod to “Daredevil,” Baccallado added, “Her belt was a node to Daredevil.”
No, the belt itself isn’t the one that Daredevil wore; that was made of red leather, like the rest of his suit. However, it’s that strap design where one side has two straps wrapped around the waist that comes from Daredevil’s costume design. I supposed it could be argued that the belt actually belonged to Daredevil, since the character likely would have also had a different suit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but this one does doesn’t have a holster for Daredevil’s combat batons. (Combatons?)
At one point, Daredevil was intended to make an appearance in the finale of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” at least according to concept art that featured him and Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider among the other Marvel superheroes, when they were supposed to fight the Deadpool Corps. along with Wade and Logan. That didn’t end up happening, though, and that’s probably for the best. But it also means Daredevil didn’t get a proper farewell, just like Ben Affleck’s Batman. How do you like them apples?
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is currently playing in theaters.