The Marvel Cinematic Universe turned the Marvel brand into a major franchise with blockbuster appeal. Of course, it took quite a few tries to get it right, and various studios were attempting their own Marvel hits following the success of Blade, X-Men, and Spider-Man. One such attempt, often considered one of the worst Marvel movies ever released, is now dominating Netflix.
It’s always interesting to see a film that underperformed either financially or critically – if not both – make a comeback on streaming. Sometimes this comeback can happen soon after a theatrical release, showing that audiences were eager to support the film as long as they were able to do so from the comfort of their own home.
For this particular title, however, it’s been two decades since it first hit theaters in 2005. As such, it seems as though the lengthy passage of time – and a supporting role in a more recent MCU flick – made this Marvel movie a worthwhile endeavor for Netflix subscribers to check out all these years later. And, as shared in the chart data, this now puts the movie in the #8 spot globally on the platform’s Top 10 list.
This film is none other than Elektra, a 2005 spin-off of 2003’s Daredevil, a similarly panned Marvel movie which starred Ben Affleck as the titular character. As for Elektra, Jennifer Garner starred in the title role and reprised her role from an appearance in Daredevil. In more recent years, and possibly one reason why the movie is now doing so well on Netflix, Garner reprised her role again for 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine.
Elektra is a product of its time, something that might’ve been considered corny in 2005, but in 2025 it seems to have an aura of nostalgia – another reason fans are no doubt supporting the title all these years later. While it seems unlikely that Garner’s Elektra will be popular enough to return as a major recurring character in the MCU, one can hope that the newfound support of her movie and her special role in Deadpool & Wolverine will give her the opportunity for at least a few more appearances.
For those who want to refresh their memories, or check out a pre-MCU Elektra movie, now seems like a great time to do so. Elektra is streaming on Netflix, offering fans to see the film that originally only made $57 million at the box office with a $43-65 million budget. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding the latest trending titles on streaming.