Since the beginning of her acting career in the 90s, Jennifer Garner has starred in a wide range of roles that span every genre of film. Most notably, Garner has appeared in critical and commercial hit films like Dallas Buyers Club (opposite Matthew McConaughey) and Juno (alongside Elliot Page and Jason Bateman). One of the biggest films of her career is perhaps the rom-com classic 13 Going on 30. Not only was it a commercial success, the film also helped Garner prove her versaility as an actress.
Indeed, prior to 13 Going on 30, Garner had risen to fame thanks to her iconic leading role of Sydney Bristow in the action TV series Alias. What’s more, action would become a genre that Garner would return to every now and then, scoring roles in either blockbuster superhero franchises or epic dramas. Here are Jennifer Garner’s best action movies, ranked.
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6 Peppermint
STX Entertainment
In 2018, Peppermint saw Jennifer Garner taking the lead role of Riley, who wakes up from a coma after surviving a brutal attack that killed her husband and her daughter. The system she seeks justice in, however, shields the murderers. As a result, Riley sets out on a mission of revenge. She channels her frustration into the motivation to transform into and train herself to become an unstoppable force and embarks on her own mission to achieve justice. The film received mediocre reviews, however, demonstrates Garner’s success as a leading actress in the action genre.
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5 Daredevil
20th Century Studios
In 2003, Jennifer Garner joined the world of superhero films when she starred in Daredevil. The film focuses on Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) who is blind but has extremely high function in the rest of his senses, due to coming into contact with a mysterious chemical. At night, he becomes Daredevil, a masked superhero who fights for justice. Wilson Fisk (Michael Clarke Duncan) hires Bullseye (Colin Farrell) to kill Daredevil, and MAtt must rely on his own senses and search out the conspirators against justice. Garner plays his girlfriend, Elektra, who gets caught up in the complexities of his life, and her performance was well received and began what would be a spin-off film later down the line.
4 The Adam Project
Netflix
The Adam Project was released on Netflix earlier this year, and follows Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds), who, after crash-landing in 2022 through his access to time travel, teams up with his 12-year-old self to save the future and put an end to time traveling. Jennifer Garner stars as Ellie Reed, his mother who is still grieving the death of her husband (and Adam’s father). The film was a success for Netflix, becoming the fourth most-watched movie on the streaming platform.
3 The Kingdom
Universal Pictures
The Kingdom is a 2007 action-thriller film directed by Peter Berg, featuring performances from Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, and Jennifer Garner. The film is set in Saudi Arabia and is based on the incident of the 1996 bombing of the Khobar housing complex. Garner stars as Janet Mayes, who is an agent and forensic analyst who plays a key role throughout the film. She has great chemistry with the rest of the cast and delivers a strong performance. While promoting The Kingdom, Garner spoke to People about the “intense” stunt choreography and fight training she had to undergo.
2 Elektra
Garner received her own Daredevil spinoff in 2005 with the release of Elektra, a film about her character in the original film. The film depicts Elektra in a life-threatening situation that inspires her to work as an assassin afterwards. She is tasked with killing an innocent man, which forces her to reassess her choices, and she then decides to protect the man and his daughter from the assassins rather than kill him. She succeeds in taking the lead in the Marvel universe, and more layers are added to Elektra through Garner’s successful performance.
1 Pearl Harbor
Touchstone Pictures
2001’s Pearl Harbor was a critical and commercial success. Based on the real-life events that happened during World War 2, the film follows Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) as they enter the war as pilots. Jennifer Garner stars as Sandra, a nurse at Tripler Army Hospital ,who is called into action during the events of the attack. It’s an excellent film that deserved all the recognition it received.
