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What isTaskmaster ’s reliable identityin the upcomingBlack Widowmovie ? After literal years of speculation and behind - the - scenes discussion , a solo motion picture for Scarlett Johansson ’s Black Widow is almost upon us , and is countersink to plunk into Natasha ’s murky past and origins . Of naturally , the OG Avenger and SHIELD intelligence officer tragically died in the process of retrieving the Soul Stone inAvengers : Endgame , meaning Natasha ’s fate is sealed , and her new film is set in the consequence ofCaptain America : Civil War , rather than constitute the next chronological chapter in the MCU .
While Natasha ’s ending may not be a mystery inBlack Widow , that shortfall is compensated by arguably the most mysterious and secretive MCU villain yet : Taskmaster . Clad in black and permanently cloak , theBlack Widowtrailersand official images have show Taskmaster mimic the combat styles of Captain America , Hawkeye , Black Panther and more of Natasha ’s brother at Avengers HQ . No actor or actress has officially been announced as portraying Taskmaster , and their hybrid expressive style of fighting has go to rampant conjecture as to their identity , as well as their relationship to Natasha .
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Given the scant information proffer by Marvel thus far and details gleaned from the comic books , here ’s why Taskmaster ’s true identitycouldbe a zep - hat SHIELD agent in theBlack Widowmovie .
Who Taskmaster Definitely ISN’T In Black Widow
By intentionally blot out who Taskmaster is inBlack Widow , even go so far as to not divulge who ’s playing them , Marvel are deliberately create an aura of machination around the scoundrel ’s identity , leaving 2 potential solutions . Either Taskmaster is a reference fan get it on and enjoy from premature MCU movies , and this is why the worker has n’t been announced , or Taskmaster ’s actor has already been let in inBlack Widow ’s cast under a different name , and the secrecy is being built purely to protect that spin . Before digging into whocouldbeTaskmaster inBlack Widow , a few figures can be provably ruled out of contention .
Given the sudden appearance of Natasha ’s Russian Red Room family , it ’s only natural that some would surmise these newcomers . David Harbour plays Alexei Shostakov , the Red Guardian , inBlack Widowand some fans have theStranger Thingsactor down as a likely Taskmaster . This seems unlikely , first of all because theBlack Widowtrailer references Alexei put on system of weights , and that does n’t seem to use to Taskmaster , and furthermore , Red Guardianand Taskmaster are encounter going read/write head to head in trailer footage , so barring a extremely tangled ruse , the two type can not be the same . This logical thinking ca n’t be lend oneself to Florence Pugh ’s Yelena . The fellow Black Widow is seen matching Natasha in scrap and the two sis clearly have a volatile relationship . However , just as Red Guardian ’s frame does n’t match Taskmaster ’s , the same can be said for Pugh , with the actress ' tenuous frame not consistent withBlack Widow ’s scoundrel .
Rachel Weisz ’s Melinahas , for many , been the frontrunner in the Taskmaster stakes due to her character ’s short backstory and icy conduct . Alas , this popular possibility has been disproved by footage that shows Melina fighting alongside Red Guardian against Taskmaster . Another popular theory suggests the villain could be a dead ringer of a Red Room graduate , possibly even of Natasha herself . In this sense , Weisz , Harbour and Pugh could all be playing Taskmaster , but only as a copy of their actual characters .
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Even though Taskmaster copies the Avengers in expressive style , the figure behind the mask almost surely wo n’t be one of the famous squad . Some have speculated Clint Barton or Steve Rogers could be the villain , butBlack Widowis unlikely to do anything that ’ll change the emphasis of theAvengers : Infinity WarandEndgamefilms . Again , a dead ringer copy is possible , but Taskmaster almost certainly wo n’t be a rogue Avenger .
O.T. Fagbenle Probably Plays Black Widow’s Taskmaster
Taskmaster’srealidentity is most likely Rick Mason , theBlack Widowcharacter play by O.T. Fagbenle . While most of the chief cast are answer for for , Fagbenle ’s use remains suspiciously shadowy , and his character has been measuredly hidden byBlack Widow ’s trailers and marketing , suggesting there ’s more to Mason than Marvel are currently allow on . It ’s almost unimaginable that Marvel would drop a young doer forTaskmasterand not announce themat allprior to give up , so the scoundrel ’s real identity sure as shooting has to be on the existing tilt under a false pretense , and Fagbenle best agree this description .
The character synopsis cater for Mason also might mistily touch to the stock of Taskmaster ’s comic Good Book eccentric . In Marvel ’s original tales , Taskmaster drop some prison term working for the U.S. government in the backwash of Civil War , opposing the Secret Avengers . SinceBlack Widowalso takes post concisely after theCivil Wararc , Taskmaster could be working for the same employer on the big blind . Meanwhile , Rick Mason is discover as a former SHIELD private eye , which would also give him a potential link to the White House . If Mason and Taskmaster were one and the same , this would be a way of respect the origins of the type , while still equip his existence into the widerMCU .
Adding fuel to this theory , Fagbenle himself used hashtags of his own character ’s name and " TM " while promotingBlack Widowon his Twitter business relationship . This might be nothing more than a Marvel - sanctioned red Clupea harangus to throw fan off the scent , but it may also be aTom Holland - sized spoileras to who Fagbenle is actually fiddle inBlack Widow .
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Taskmaster’s Past With Black Widow: How Does He Know Her?
One major clew towards unmasking Taskmaster ’s reliable identity is his obvious grudge against Natasha . Black Widow ’s trailer prove that the late MCU offering is n’t just another case of an Avenger saving the world from a dastardly villain , Taskmaster ’s feud with Natasha is deeply personal on both sides , but the exact nature of their association remains a mystery . One confirmed detail is that Taskmaster is the figure currently in bearing of the Red Room breeding facility where Natasha and her family hone their baneful cunning . This outfit neatly into Rick Mason being Taskmaster , since he and Natasha were onceSHIELDallies .
MCU fan already hump that Natasha was aim in Russia before Clint Barton managed to enter her into SHIELD rather , but her indoctrination into the U.S. regime ’s employment was likely not the responsibility of Hawkeye alone , and Rick Mason could have been a key name in helping Natasha accommodate to life as an broker of SHIELD . This would explain how he gains intimate noesis of theRed Room , and is able-bodied to take statement of the facility inBlack Widow . Further movie hearsay suggest that Rick and Natasha developed some degree of romantic connection during this period too , which would sharpen their professional differences . In the present day , of form , Mason has n’t been date or referenced in the MCU , implying he may have fallen foul of SHIELD since Natasha ’s early Clarence Day in the organization and gone off - grid , possibly under the Taskmaster persona .
What Does Taskmaster Want In Black Widow?
Assuming that Taskmaster is Rick Mason , a dissatisfied former ( or present ) fellow member of SHIELD with amorous feeling for Nat still sunburn late inside , his motivations could be numerous . On one hand , taking control condition of the Red Room is a personal attack on Natasha ’s chronicle , while also an in effect method acting of building a highly - train anti - SHIELD army to take revenge on the organization . However , Taskmaster ’s motivations are also deeply tie into the otherAvengers , since he appear to be imitate their relocation . In the Marvel mirthful books , Taskmaster agitate by replicate the techniques of his opponents , and claim anything the Avengers could do , he could do good .
It ’s possible that Rick would be jealous that Natasha became an Avenger and left him behind , but his boeuf with her and SHIELD could be more directly pertain to superheroes as a whole . If Taskmaster is determined to show he can outperform the Avengers , perhaps his goal is to prove that SHIELD does n’t need to rely on tiptop - powered heroes over its regular operatives . This sort of outlook would fit with the post - Civil War landscape of the MCU , and would bringTaskmaster ’s Secret Avengers risible feud back into direction . The difference in political orientation could be the root of his problem with both SHIELDandNatasha inBlack Widow , after the woman he have it away sided with the superheroes he hates . If Taskmaster / Mason can use the Red Room to shew grooming and laborious work trumps innate superpowers , he could purge SHIELD of the Avengers and turn up Natasha was wrong in the process .
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