Marvel have announced the casting of French-Cambodian actress Élodie Yung as Elektra in the upcoming second season of Daredevil on Netflix. Yung is well versed in the action genre, having played Jinx, a ninja, in 2013’s hopeless G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Marvel’s Jeph Loeb described Yung as ‘the perfect actress to embody both Elektra’s impressive and deadly physicality, as well as her psychological complexity. 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.’
There will likely be some curiosity over whether Yung’s interpretation of the character will see some changes to her history. In the comics, Elektra is a Greek woman who trains in martial arts following the deaths of her parents. She shares a mentor with Matt Murdock in the shape of Stick, played by Scott Glenn in the series, despite her later choosing to ally herself with The Hand, a sect of ninja assassins who have been hinted at as a long-term threat. Given Yung’s heritage, it is also possible her Elektra will be linked in some capacity to Nobu, a ninja-turned-businessman who, prior to his fiery death at Murdock’s hands, was allied to both Wilson Fisk and a clan with a strong resemblance to The Hand. That’s strictly speculation, but with Jon Bernthal also joining the series as Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, there will be no shortage of fan favourites in play when the series returns in 2016.
[via Marvel]