Last Updated: October 1, 2020
The Taskmaster is the chief villain of the upcoming Black Widow film, starring Scarlett Johansson. This was the belief of many comics fans, following the release of photos depicting an armored figure in a white hood driving a tank through the streets of Budapest in 2019, and was later confirmed by Marvel Studios' marketing.
Taskmaster's arrival on the big screen is now literally a long time coming, as Coronavirus has delayed the Black Widow movie repeatedly, with the latest move pushing it all the way back to May 2021, a full 14 months after its originally planned March 2020 release.
While Taskmaster's role in the movie is notably unlike his usual portrayal in the comics, he should still be a worthy opponent for Natasha Romanoff. Both characters have worked for multiple covert agencies and as freelance mercenaries over the years, and Taskmaster's reputation is such that taking him on alone would cement Black Widow's place among Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Here's everything you need to know about Taskmaster's origins, powers and who might be playing him in Black Widow.
Taskmaster's Comic History Explained
Taskmaster first appeared on the final page of Avengers #195 in May 1980, with his origins being explained one issue later in Avengers #196. He revealed himself to Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Yellowjacket (Hank Pym) and The Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) after they accidentally uncovered one of his secret schools for supervillain henchmen. Taskmaster then demonstrated his skill to the captive heroes by defeating his current class single-handed, utilizing the weapons and fighting styles of their fellow Avengers.
Taskmaster explained that he first discovered he had a talent for mimicking the actions of others by replicating the lasso tricks used by a cowboy hero in the westerns he loved as a child. As a teenager, he used his talents to become the quarterback of his high school football team by watching professional quarterbacks in action and copying their moves. After graduation, he briefly considered becoming both a superhero and a supervillain, but dismissed heroism as unprofitable and costumed crime as too risky. This led him to become a teacher and personal trainer for anyone willing to pay him for his time.
Over the years, Taskmaster built up a lengthy list of clients, helping to train both heroes and villains alike. Despite the Avengers' best efforts to shut down his schools, Taskmaster has continually evaded capture and defied all efforts to uncover his secret identity. He has worked for both AIM and Hydra, yet was also hired by the American government to train newbie superheroes as part of the Avengers' Fifty State Initiative. He was even granted a full pardon for all of his past crimes after SHIELD hired him to test the security measures of their newly rebuilt Helicarrier base by breaking into it - a challenge he successfully met.
This background was retconned by a 2010 Taskmaster mini-series, which showed the true origins of Taskmaster and his powers. Taskmaster was revealed to have originally been an agent of SHIELD named Tony Masters and his memories of perfectly mimicking the actions of athletes and actors as a child were accurate. What Taskmaster did not remember, however, was that his memory and ability to perfectly emulate the actions of others were enhanced after he was injected with a Nazi scientist's effort to replicate the Super Soldier formula that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America.
The formula worked, giving Masters a peak human physique and enhanced reflexes in addition to refining his existing powers. Unfortunately, the formula had an unintended side-effect and Tony began to lose his personal memories and sense of identity the more he used his powers to enhance his combat training. This memory loss became so severe that he completely forgot his past as a SHIELD agent and the existence of his wife and field-partner, Mercedes Merced.
Thankfully, Agent Merced was able to find a way to stay close to her husband and put his condition to good use, even if he didn't know it. Adopting the identity of The Org, Merced became Taskmaster's handler and began managing his appointments and finances, as Taskmaster proved incapable of remembering anything past a few days unless it directly related to his training. It was in this capacity that she began sending Taskmaster out on mercenary missions, not telling him that he was really working for SHIELD.
Agent Merced was also responsible for creating the Taskmaster identity for Tony and setting up the Taskmaster's secret supervillain training academies. Through these, SHIELD was able to keep tabs on the activities of the various villain groups that hired Taskmaster and learn what they were planning. This turned Taskmaster into the ultimate double agent in the supervillain underground, given that he had no idea who he truly was and could pass a telepathic scan without issue.
Taskmaster's Powers Explained
Taskmaster possesses a power to duplicate any physical action he sees another person initiate, which he has dubbed "photographic reflexes." He also has a photographic memory, which allows him to effortlessly recall the many actions he has observed. By watching video footage of other superheroes and supervillains in action, Taskmaster was able to teach himself their moves and trained himself in a variety of disciplines. He has also developed a limited form of super-speed which allows him to perform a maneuver faster than normal if he observed it on a sped-up video. This is a tremendous strain on his body, however, and Taskmaster can only do it in short bursts.
Thanks to his training and powers, Taskmaster has acquired a particular set of skills that are second to none. He's mastered the acrobatics employed by Spider-Man and Daredevil, the marksman ability of Hawkeye and the Punisher, the martial arts skills of Iron Fist and Shang-Chi and even specialized moves such as Captain America's ability to throw his shield in such a manner that it can ricochet off multiple targets and return to his hand. His studies have made Taskmaster into a brilliant tactician, who can predict what a known opponent will do in a fight with near psychic accuracy. Taskmaster is also a talented vocal mimic who can impersonate anyone after hearing their voice and a master of disguise who can effectively double anyone of a similar body type whose body language he has observed.
All of these factors, coupled with the enhanced physique provided by the Nazi Super Soldier formula, have combined have made Taskmaster into a formidable opponent, whom Spider-Man has compared to "taking on all of the Avengers at once." He's accomplished several impressive feats over the years, such as fighting both Captain America and Iron Man simultaneously and winning. The only person known to have beaten Taskmaster in a one-on-one fight is Deadpool, whose chaotic combat style Taskmaster finds it impossible to copy or counteract.
This reveals the greatest drawback to Taskmaster's powers - there is a vast difference between knowing martial arts and being able to imitate a martial arts move. Because of his poor memory, while Taskmaster has augmented his powers with honest training, he's still not as refined as a dedicated practitioner who can take the basics of an art and build upon it. Taskmaster is not that creative and while he can remember the signature moves of hundreds of heroes, he's frequently thrown by the unexpected and will flee the field of battle when faced with an unfamiliar opponent or an old enemy armed with new tricks.
Who Is Playing Taskmaster?
While Taskmaster is - or at least appears to be - the lead villain in the Black Widow movie, the question of who is playing him is still up in the air. The mostly likely candidate seems to be actor O-T Fagbenle, who has been cast in the movie as Rick Mason, a previously unknown character with ties to Natasha's SHIELD days and a possible romantic interest from her past. Fagbenle is an acclaimed stage actor, best known for his performance as Luke Bankole in The Handmaid's Tale. The evidence has mounted over the past year that Fagbenle's character is really Taskmaster, and for his part, the actor hasn't denied the possibility.
Taskmaster's Role In The Black Widow Movie
As depicted in the Black Widow movie, Taskmaster has taken control of Natasha's former training ground, the Red Room. It's unclear for what purpose Taskmaster is manipulating the Red Room, but it appears likely that doing so is what first causes conflict between him and Natasha. Some are wondering if Taskmaster is connected to Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, who also plays a role in the film. For now, Taskmaster's true purpose within the MCU remains shrouded in mystery.