A prominent fan theory surrounding the true identity of Taskmaster in Black Widow posits Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) is actually the person behind the villain's mask. However, the latest trailer for the film seems to debunk this idea.
Created by David Michelinie and George Perez, Taskmaster first appeared in 1980's The Avengers #195. Although his true identity is generally thought to be Tony Masters, there's some indication this might not actually be the case. As a child he learned he had photographic reflexes after he was able to perfectly execute the lasso tricks he saw on TV Westerns. He later became a deadly assassin and all-around formidable villain.
The original theory Melina was Taskmaster leans into the spy movie trope of a teammate's betrayal. After all, the MCU has a history of combining comic villains for the sake of a twist. For example, in Iron Man 3, The Mandarin was revealed to be Aldrich Killian all along, while in the comics, those are two separate characters. However, it appears the Black Widow trailer has nipped this theory in the bud prior to the movie's release.
The trailer shows Taskmaster on the roof of the helicopter Melina is piloting, which means she can't be Taskmaster during this battle. Her expression during this collision is of concern or mild panic, seeming to indicate that this moment wasn't planned and, therefore, she and Taskmaster are not working together. This might mean Melina will stay on the side of the good guys.
This is counter to her usual role in the comics where Melina Vostokoff takes up the alter-ego Iron Maiden and is a key villain for Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. After undergoing the same training as Black Widow, Melina becomes jealous of Natasha's success and vows to defeat her by becoming a stronger villain than Black Widow is a hero. Though she has no traditional superpowers or enhancements, she is able to hold her own against the likes of Captain America through her superior fighting skills and heavily armored suit.
Just because Melina is not Taskmaster in the film, though, doesn't mean she won't also be a villain. Given her comics history of acting as a villain to multiple Marvel heroes, Black Widow could serve as her introduction to a recurring role as a MCU Phase 4 antagonist. Also, in a movie about spies and spies teaming up, a betrayal or double-cross of some kind feels appropriate -- and Melina would be the obvious source of that betrayal. On the other hand, Alexi Shostakov had a run as Ronin, so perhaps it will be the Red Guardian who will take a dark turn during the film and betray the team. Still, the trailer seems to at least debunk the idea Melina is secretly Taskmaster.
Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, O-T Fagbenle as Rick Mason and Rachel Weisz as Melina. The film opens in theaters May 1.