Sigourney Weaver’s ‘Defenders’ Character Trains Elektra As A Weapon

Kim Taylor-Foster
TV Comic-Con
TV Comic-Con Marvel

The Defenders panel at San Diego Comic-Con gave fans assembled in Hall H an exclusive look at the first episode of the crossover show. The series brings Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist together onscreen for the first time, pitting them against Sigourney Weaver’s new antagonist Alexandra Reid.

At an SDCC interview later, Weaver revealed more information about her relationship with Elektra, who returns to the franchise after last being seen in Daredevil Season 2.

“One of the most interesting things – which I didn’t even really know about when I took the role – I knew that I had a relationship with Elektra, but I think that it was constantly surprising to us,” said Weaver. “Elodie [Yung, who plays Elektra] is so gifted, and I think we are both pretty daring as actors, and we went for it wherever it would take us. Which we often didn’t know.”

Elektra Defenders trailer

Weaver’s character has taken Elektra under her wing – in a manner of speaking.

At the panel, Yung told fans that Elektra is “trained by Alexandra to be some kind of weapon.”

In the first episode, a scene in which the two are seen together gives a tantalising glimpse at the nature of their relationship.

Yung also revealed during the panel that Elektra will be a different version of the Elektra we saw in Daredevil.

“Elektra is an amnesiac and doesn’t remember who she is or anything about her past life,” she said.

She added, “I guess the question for my character is how much of the Elektra that we know still remains.”

Weaver told the panel that their relationship is one of the most unusual she’s ever experienced.

Villains with Depth

the defenders alexandra sigourney weaver villain 2
Weaver says Alexandra is a complex character

During the interview, she teased, “I don’t think we see ourselves as villains. We are perhaps antagonists. We have our own good points. Especially in our relationship. I feel it’s a very sincere relationship in many ways, and I felt it was very organic and believable considering the universe that one is in.”

Weaver also praised the franchise for creating villains with depth, saying she’s “very pleased to be part of … a lexicon of wonderful villains.”

Giving an insight into what makes her character tick, she added, “I think these villains are people and they’re very complex. And I think that’s actually very accurate – when people go bad, not that I do that, often the things that drive them are very deep, suffering forces.”

FANDOM asked Weaver how much of her life she had signed away to this character, and she replied: “Well, I’ve signed my life away to Avatar 2, 3, 4, 5… that was already in the works, so this is more of a visit.”

Sounds like her tenure as Alexandra may well end once Season 1 of The Defenders concludes.

The Defenders premieres on Netflix on August 18.

Kim Taylor-Foster
Kim Taylor-Foster is Entertainment Editor for Fandom in the UK. She was raised on an unsteady diet of video nasties and violent action flicks.