I've got a soft spot for the era when superhero movies were still figuring themselves out. Looking at the 2026 movie schedule and all the upcoming superhero movies, it's wild to think how far the genre has come since 2003, when we had Ben Affleck in a red leather suit, Jennifer Garner wielding sais, and enough Evanescence on the soundtrack to make the whole thing unmistakably early-2000s. I've watched Daredevil more times than I care to admit, but I had no idea how goofy Affleck was while shooting some of those fights with Garner. Apparently, even the Man Without Fear worried about embarrassing himself.During Variety's "Does Ben Affleck Know His Lines?" video, the actor was asked to identify dialogue from his past movies. When shown a line Matt Murdock says to Elektra about how difficult it is to learn her name, the Argo filmmaker initially questioned whether it was even from Daredevil. Once he realized it was, he remembered how much fun he had working with Garner, along with one pretty funny concern about their action scenes:The real fun of that movie was getting to work with Jen and doing the fights, and she was so good at that stuff, because she did it on Alias. And I was kind of like, 'Is this going to look like The Matrix, or am I going to look like an idiot?'I can't get over that mental image. Here's the guy playing one of Marvel's most intimidating street-level heroes, wondering if he's about to pull off something cool or look like a total dork next to Jennifer Garner. Honestly, watching the movie now, I understand where he was coming from.Remember the playground fight? Matt and Elektra turn what should be a straightforward introduction into a full-on martial arts demonstration in front of a bunch of children. There's flipping, kicking and some very strange flirting, all taking place around equipment that definitely wasn't designed for superhero combat. It's one of those scenes I can't imagine a modern Marvel movie getting away with quite the same way.Garner, meanwhile, had already spent time kicking serious butt as Sydney Bristow on ABC's Alias, and she's since joked about the knife-fighting skills she picked up from those action roles. She was comfortable with the choreography, and her experience shows throughout Daredevil. Affleck had certainly made action movies before, including Armageddon and Pearl Harbor, but battling a trained assassin in a public playground is a different assignment.(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)It wasn't exactly a walk in the park for the 13 Going on 30 star, either. The actress previously recalled that her hands swelled during the extended shoot for Elektra's memorable training sequence, forcing a crew member to cut off her rings. Between those stories and Affleck's worries about channeling The Matrix, I'm starting to appreciate the effort behind all that leather-clad choreography.Of course, the Reindeer Games actor hasn't always been kind to Daredevil in hindsight. In a separate recent interview, he even admitted he wishes he'd turned to Kevin Feige for more guidance while making the movie. I get it. The 2003 film has some genuinely bizarre creative choices, although I still have a good time revisiting it.Garner went on to headline Elektra in 2005 and eventually returned to the character for 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine. The former spouses have also spoken warmly about working together, and they recently considered reuniting for Affleck's film Animals before deciding that playing a married couple might bring too much real-life baggage.Personally, I'd love to see them share the screen again, preferably in another action movie. Just let Garner handle the fighting and give Affleck a little reassurance before the cameras roll. Also, maybe keep them away from the playground equipment this time?