Who is the villainous Taskmaster in Black Widow? Here's everything that is known about Taskmaster's real identity. Finally due for release on November 6, 2020 after being one of the biggest summer movies delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Widow is the first chapter of Marvel's fourth phase to its cinematic universe. Fans know to expect a prequel, as Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) perished during the events of Avengers: Endgame, and it's understood that Black Widow takes place following the events of Captain America: Civil War, with a de-aged General Ross apparently pursuing Natasha Romanoff. One mystery remains, which is the identity of the main villain, Taskmaster.
A fan-favorite character, Taskmaster's presence in the first solo Black Widow movie has conjured a mystery around itself; the trailers and promo material so far have shown a masked assailant who is referred to only by his designation, 'Taskmaster'. Florence Pugh's character, Yelena Belova (the second Black Widow in the comic books), describes Taskmaster as being in charge of the 'Red Room'; the KGB's facility for creating Russian super-spies and super-soldiers. Which actor (or actress) is behind the mask is currently unknown - a minor miracle in itself, in the age of the internet and near-constant spoilers and leaks. The mystery behind Taskmaster's identity has allowed for some fun theorizing within the fan community, as every interview tidbit with the cast can be examined to discover who is under Taskmaster's mask.
In the Marvel comics, Taskmaster is Tony Masters, a Brooklyn-born mercenary with 'photographic reflexes'. Able to mimic the abilities of any person he sees in action - be it real life or videotape - Masters decided to use his skills to train criminals in gymnastics and a plethora of fighting styles. Masters took on the identity of Taskmaster, donning a skull mask and a white hood and cape, selling his newly-trained criminals to the highest bidder. Taskmaster was most often seen armed with a short sword and shield, the latter of which he was proficient with having studied (and copied) the abilities of Captain America. As Taskmaster seems to be a Russian agent in the Black Widow solo film, it's unlikely he will be revealed to be Brooklyn-born Tony Masters, although it's not impossible that Taskmaster could become the MCU's next antihero like the character once did in the source material. So, who is Taskmaster in Black Widow? Here's everything we know about Taskmaster's real identity.
MCU Taskmaster's Origin Story
As previously mentioned, Yelena Belova mentions that Taskmaster is now in charge of the Red Room, and has the fledgling 'Black Widows' under his (or her) thumb. Whilst Yelena refers to Taskmaster as a 'he', it is currently unconfirmed that the character actually is a man, rather than a woman. It's hard to determine the character's origin from the trailers for Black Widow, as so little has been given away of the character. Taskmaster can be seen mimicking the fighting styles of Black Widow, Black Panther, Captain America and proficiency with a bow and arrow just like Hawkeye, but this does little to inform fans of Taskmaster's backstory - only his skills.
As Taskmaster is in charge of the Red Room during the events of Black Widow, it's simple to assume that he is a product of the same program that produced Black Widow and her Russian 'family'; Yelena Belova, Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Alexei Shostakov a.k.a. Red Guardian (David Harbour). Russian authorities are notoriously impenetrable even in real life, let alone the Marvel Cinematic Universe; having an outsider infiltrate the KGB's Red Room seems improbable. It's likely that Taskmaster, then, is Russian - if only to explain his ability to commandeer the resources of the Red Room deep inside the Kremlin. Equally, Taskmaster could be a Russian posing as a person of another nationality, much like Natasha Romanoff affects an American accent (allowing whichever actor is playing Taskmaster to retain whatever accent they have).
Who Is Taskmaster's Employer
If Taskmaster is in control of the Red Room, and dispatching its new super-spies to eliminate old products of the Russian super-soldier program like Black Widow and Red Guardian, then it's unlikely that he himself would have an employer other than perhaps the Russian government. That said, with Taskmaster's motives currently so unclear, it's hard to ascertain why the copycat mercenary is being deployed in the first place, let alone trying to determine who is responsible for his deployment. One theory points to Taskmaster being a former SHIELD operative, and therefore under the direction of General Ross, who is looking to apprehend Black Widow as a vigilante operating without impunity who has turned her back on the Sokovia Accords. This theory now seems to have holes in it, as a former SHIELD operative being aimed like a gun by General Ross seems to be an unlikely candidate for taking control of another country's super-soldier training program (ie the Red Room).
Marvel Theory: Black Widow's Taskmaster Was Created By Iron Man
Another school of thought suggests that Taskmaster is working for science-terrorists Advanced Idea Mechanics, last seen in Iron Man 3. Their acronym is seen on the wall of the makeshift hospital room Yelena Belova is strapped down in, apparently a hostage of Taskmaster's. Either Taskmaster is using AIM technology, or he has co-opted the organization in the wake of leader Aldrich Killian's death in the finale of Iron Man 3, meaning Iron Man is responsible for the creation of yet another villain. AIM may have even hired Taskmaster to obtain for them an assassin from the Red Room, perhaps to brainwash to serve their own nefarious purposes. As Yelena says in the final trailer, the Red Room super-spies can be "manipulated; fully conscious but no choices." Taskmaster is either using AIM technology to do this, or doing this for AIM. Potentially, the AIM easter egg could end up being just that, with no further explanation.
Taskmaster's Known Weapons
Taskmaster is capable of mimicking the fighting style of any person he watches even once and has taken to utilizing the weapons of those he has seen in action. From Black Panther's claws, to Captain America's shield, to Hawkeye's bow, Taskmaster is proficient with them all - as proficient as the original owners of those weapons, making him just as deadly. One scene shows him swinging around a bridge as if he's Spider-Man. He's also seen with his signature short sword, as per the Marvel comics, although one theory suggests that he could have gleaned his swordplay from Black Knight, introducing the character ahead of his debut in Eternals. The access to all these weapons, not to mention footage of the world's foremost superheroes to study and emulate, means a person who is well-connected and well-financed.
Taskmaster's Identity Theory #1: Rachel Weisz
Some early theories about Rachel Weisz' appearance in Black Widow pointed to her being under Taskmaster's mask, but this theory now seems unlikely. Weisz' character, Melina, has since been seen in a Black Widow promo fighting Taskmaster alongside Red Guardian. The lack of information surrounding Weisz' character led to the assumption that the secrecy was for a reason, and that Weisz' character would be revealed to be Taskmaster. Now that more footage from the film has been released, fans can see that Red Guardian refers to Melina as Black Widow's 'mother'; the surrogate maternal figure in Natasha's Russian super-soldier family, along with the aforementioned fight scene where Melina squares off with Taskmaster. It would be too elaborate of a ruse for Melina to fake fighting herself, so it's more likely that Rachel Weisz as Melina is not Taskmaster in Black Widow.
Taskmaster's Identity Theory #2: Florence Pugh
Florence Pugh is playing Yelena Belova in Black Widow and is likely being groomed to take Natasha Romanoff's spot in the Avengers franchise, following the latter's sacrifice for the Soul Stone in Avengers: Endgame. It's unlikely that Yelena will be revealed to be under the Taskmaster's mask, as her likely being set up to take the baton from Johansson means that Marvel Studios would be unwilling to tarnish the character with an early heel turn. That said, Black Widow could well employ a bait-and-switch with Yelena's character, having her enlist Natasha to combat the combined threat of Taskmaster and the Red Room agents, only to have her be revealed as a brainwashed agent of Taskmaster or Taskmaster herself. All that is currently known is that Yelena tracks Natasha down early on in Black Widow (or vice versa), the two have a friendly tussle and then team up to take down Taskmaster. Anything else is up for speculation.
Taskmaster's Identity Theory #3: OT Fagbenle
OT Fagbenle is the likeliest candidate to be under Taskmaster's mask and hood, wielding his patented sword and shield in Black Widow. The British actor is said to be playing Rick Mason, a former SHIELD operative, with some rumors suggesting Mason and Natasha Romanoff once had a romantic relationship. The extent of the relationship on Black Widow's storyline is unconfirmed, although one theory suggests that Mason is bitter over the way the relationship ended and has unresolved issues with Black Widow being key in tearing SHIELD down during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This could potentially lead to him becoming Taskmaster, commandeering the Red Room and coming after Black Widow and her family.
OT Fagbenle has been outright cagey regarding his role in Black Widow. On Twitter, he signed some Black Widow-centric tweets with the hashtag '#TM' (for Taskmaster?), as well as being involved in a suspicious Instagram Live interview where he had to reprimand a friend for insinuating Fagbenle might be Taskmaster. Black Widow's marketing campaign so far has featured zero footage or even still photographs of Fagbenle in the film; this level of secrecy usually points to a misdirection or reveal within the film itself. Take, for example, the reveal that Ben Kingsley was not actually The Mandarin in Iron Man 3; rather, an actor named Trevor Slattery. Looking back at the trailer footage for Iron Man 3, Ben Kingsley's Mandarin was only ever seen repeating the same menacing "You will never see me coming" speech. Could Fagbenle's lack of screen time in Black Widow's promotional campaign indicate that he is actually the actor playing Taskmaster?
