WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Black Widow, now playing in theaters and streaming on Disney+ Premier Access.
While Taskmaster spends much of Black Widow fighting behind a mask and hood, the movie ultimately reveals the face inside -- and the character's connection to Natasha Romanoff. But with the climax of the film setting the villain on a new path, where in the Marvel Cinematic Universe might the skilled combant next appear?
Olga Kurylenko spoke to Esquire about her mysterious role in the new movie, which sees her revealed as Antonia Dreykov, the daughter of the Red Room's mastermind. As a result of the twist, Kurylenko wasn't given much time to flesh out the character or her feelings towards Natasha -- who blew her up as a child. But with Antonia and the other Widows fleeing with Yelena at the end of the film, it seems safe to assume Taskmaster has a move-copying future in the MCU. But Kurylenko can't offer any details.
"It's for the studio. Look, they only decide. They could do whatever they want. Right? They could make her appear or disappear, so I wouldn't be able to confirm," the actor said. "I mean, obviously, the thing is, to me, I enjoy playing that character. There's so much background story. There was no time to show it all in this film because the story went into the other direction. But there's so much that, of course, it could be developed."
While much of the film explores Natasha's mindset and past and introduces Yelena Belova, there's certainly plenty to explore when it comes to the mind-controlled agent who can mimic the moves of anyone she sees. So, given the chance, would Kurylenko want to reprise her role?
"Imagine I'd say, 'No, I wouldn't,'" she joked. "Would that be weird? Would you even believe me? Of course, I would. It'd be really cool. I'd love to."
If Black Widow marks the character's only appearance, Kurylenko thinks the character's movie-long silence is fitting given the life she's led -- or rather, been forced to lead. "It's almost metaphorical," Kurylenko said. "[Dreykov is] the man who forces women to do what he wants. And I would realize that when she was a child—it's probably the whole life that she lived that way. And I just shut up and I can't say anything. It's really a character who keeps it all inside and, I think, suffers inside a lot. I think she cries inside."
Black Widow stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and follows the character on the run after the events of Captain America: Civil War. While she attempts to lie low, the explosive appearance of Taskmaster quickly puts her past on a collision course with her present.
Source: Esquire