There isn't much known about Marvel's Black Widow, which stars Scarlett Johannson as the fan-favorite super-spy in her first solo outing. Heck, despite multiple leaked photos and videos from the set, the studio won't even confirm the film is in production. However, we can say Johannson reprises her role as Natasha Romanoff, and that a second Black Widow may be introduced.But the latest images reveal another central character, and may even hint at the identity of one of the film's villains: someone clad in body armor moving through a city street. Some of have speculated the antagonist could be the Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of the classic comic book villain Taskmaster. But do the other clues lead to the same conclusion?
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better
Debuting in 1980 in The Avengers #195, by David Michelinie and George Pérez, Taskmaster proved to be a formidable foe for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Gifted with "photographic reflexes," Taskmaster is able to replicate the physical moments of anyone he sees. Therefore, he swiftly became as skilled of a marksman as Hawkeye, and as adept of a fighter as Captain America. A mercenary, Taskmaster may not like superheroes for getting in his way, but he doesn't hold grudges against them. He's even worked for the heroes (for a price, of course), helping to train John Walker so he could pass as the real Captain America, and serving as an instructor in Avengers: The Initiative.
Taskmaster is also one of the more personable villains in the Marvel Universe. He's often been portrayed as one of the few people who can tolerate Deadpool, and he's recently become best friends with fellow rogue Black Ant. The character has risen in popularity in the past two decades, during which he starred in two comic book miniseries. One of them revealed that Taskmaster is actually a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named Tony Masters, and that the serum that amplified his muscle memory also destroys his explicit memory. He has amnesia, only really remembering his time as Taskmaster. It's even revealed his ex-wife, also a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, serves as his handler.
Making A Dishonest Living
Although Taskmaster has yet to make his live-action debut, he has appeared in the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers Assemble, and in the original animated movie Iron Man and Captain America: Heroes United. He's also appeared over the years in multiple video games, including Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and the PS4 Spider-Man. He's even been confirmed as one of the early villains in the upcoming Marvel's Avengers.
That recent increased profile may be why fans are so excited to see Taskmaster come to the big screen. His abilities make him a more understandable threat than many other villains. He's also a far cry from a cosmic-level threat like Thanos. Instead, Taskmaster is a fast-thinking but otherwise human brawler who would be a perfect opponent for Black Widow. So what are the chances he'll actually appear as the villain in Black Widow?
Time To Shine
The set photos have led many fans to speculate whether that's Taskmaster in the body armor, pursuing Black Widow. Although the character is missing the signature hood and cloak from his major appearances, the costume does share a color scheme with the costume introduced in the 2002 Taskmaster miniseries. His face mask also appears to feature a somewhat skull-like design.
But the suit is also bulky in a way Taskmaster typically hasn't appeared. Even when weighed down with an assortment of weapons, Taskmaster has always been highly mobile; it's what makes his fight scenes so dynamic. He also doesn't possess any of the weapons with which Taskmaster is so proficient. However, multiple characters have been redesigned for the MCU: Look no further than M'Baku in Black Panther. Still, it would be a shame if the Taskmaster brought into the MCU didn't really feel like Taskmaster.
Directed by Cate Shortland from a script by Ned Benson, Black Widow stars Scarlett Johansson, and is rumored to be released on May 1, 2020.