Whether you like his movies or not, you can’t deny that Man of Steel, Batman V Superman and Justice League director Zack Snyder has his own distinct superhero style. As such, the idea of him going to work for Marvel Studios and bending to their house aesthetic doesn’t seem plausible. Despite all that, many have wondered what Snyder would do if he were given an opportunity to work with Marvel’s heroes, and now we know the answer.
During a recent interview, the director was asked what his ideal Marvel movie would be and instantly said he’d love to adapt a classic Frank Miller Daredevil story, explaining:
“I would choose Elektra Lives Again. Daredevil is having these dreams about Elektra coming back to life, and it’s really cool and weird…It’s just cool, and beautiful. That’s what I would do. No one cares, but that’s what I would do.”
Elektra Lives Again was written and illustrated by husband and wife dream team Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, who also collaborated on iconic stories like The Dark Knight Returns, 300 and Ronin. Originally published as a hardcover special edition in 1990, it’s a trippy tale concerned with Matt Murdock’s visions of Elektra, featuring some insanely badass ninja fight scenes and generally jaw-dropping artwork.
It’s easy to see why Snyder likes it so much, too. In 300, he faithfully brought Miller and Varley’s work to the big screen, effectively using the comic itself as storyboards for the hit movie. The Dark Knight Returns was also a huge influence on Batman V Superman, particularly in the Man of Steel’s climactic battle with a heavily armored Caped Crusader and his Kryptonite weaponry.
Of course, the 2005 Daredevil spinoff Elektra with Jennifer Garner is rightly considered one of the worst superhero pics of all time, so the character is due a worthy adaptation. More recently, Élodie Yung played the role in the second season of Netflix’s Daredevil and in The Defenders, though we don’t know if Marvel Studios would invite her back for a big screen outing.
In any case, Zack Snyder’s highly anticipated Justice League: Director’s Cut will be released on HBO Max in March, with his zombie heist movie Army of the Dead hitting Netflix later in the year.