Black Widow Theory: Taskmaster Becomes The Next MCU Antihero

Could Black Widow's villain Taskmaster become the next MCU antihero? When Scarlett Johansson's first solo movie for Marvel Studios finally takes a bow in November (assuming the pandemic doesn't force another release date change), fans will finally get to see exactly who is under the mysterious mask of beloved mercenary Taskmaster and what exactly the character's on-screen origin is.

In the Marvel Comics, Taskmaster is Anthony 'Tony' Masters, a Brooklyn-born merc with 'photographic reflexes'. Able to mimic the physical abilities of anybody he watches but one time, Masters used his skills to train criminals in acrobatics and fighting styles, with the aim of selling the trained criminals to the highest bidder. He became Taskmaster, sporting an iconic skull mask and white hood and cape combo. Whether Black Widow follows the same origin story for their on-screen version remains to be seen - some theories point to O-T Fagbenle being the man under the mask - but the real question is whether Taskmaster will survive the events of Black Widow and progress to becoming the antihero he eventually became in the source material.

After Marvel Comics' blockbuster event 'Civil War' wrapped in 2007, the superheroes of the Marvel Universe were either made to register with the government to perform their super-heroics or go on the lam. Taskmaster even served as Drill Sergeant for The Initiative, training younger heroes for the government, having previously been employed by the U.S. Government as one of The Thunderbolts - a team rumored for Phase 4 of the MCU. Kevin Feige could already be putting various pieces into play to build up Taskmaster from his (or her) debut in Black Widow into something more.

Taskmaster's Conflicted Alignment in Marvel Comics

Black Widow vs Taskmaster concept art cropped

In Marvel Comics, Taskmaster's employment by the Initiative led to him becoming fond of his students, as well as enjoying being on the side of the angels for a change. Taskmaster's newfound antihero status was challenged when Norman Osborn - AKA the Green Goblin - took over SHIELD (renaming it HAMMER) in the wake of 'Secret Invasion', which had seen Skrulls infiltrating the superhero community for a number of years.

Osborn coerced Taskmaster into leading the Shadow Initiative, training criminals to pose as heroes, a fact that irked Taskmaster - who threatened to leave. Osborn threatened his life in return, forcing him to stay. Sadly, MCU fans are a long way off from enjoying a Dark Reign storyline on-screen, as Norman Osborn has yet to even appear in the Tom Holland Spider-Man: Homecoming series. That is not to say that Taskmaster cannot go on to redeem himself on-screen, provided the screenwriters decide to leave him alive at the end of Black Widow. Marvel have a bad habit of killing their best on-screen villains, and the list of those MCU villains remaining alive is fairly slim.

Taskmaster Had a Hard Time Proving His Redemption

Task Master standing straight and looking at the distance

Taskmaster's development as an antihero in the comics is upended as Norman Osborn is manipulated by Loki into attacking Asgard. Taskmaster is sent into battle, and engages in a fight with two Captain Americas (Bucky and a resurrected Steve Rogers). Tragically, none of Taskmaster's rehabilitation as an antihero is known by the Captains, and they consider him to be the same villain he always was - especially as he's fighting for Osborn.

Taskmaster's internal narration tells the reader how much this stings him, as all his strides as a hero were for naught. Taskmaster is able to slink away from the battleground alongside Constrictor, but not before taunting Norman Osborn with the fact that he had helped Deadpool interfere in his plans. Sadly, both Taskmaster and Constrictor returned to the mercenary life following the 'Siege' storyline.

Taskmaster Could Be The MCU's Next Antihero

Taskmaster could break with MCU villain tradition and not only survive the events of Black Widow, but grow beyond them - and potentially be redeemed as a force for good. The conflict within the character - who enjoyed his time as a hero in the comics, before being reduced back to criminal status by heroes who couldn't believe he had reformed - is ripe for big-screen adaptation. His conflict with Deadpool on the page also leaves an opportunity to appear alongside the Merc with a Mouth if Ryan Reynolds ever makes his "explosive" debut in the MCU. The character's propensity for training henchmen in the source material means that he could be brought back in other MCU movies, although the MCU version does not seem to be following this version of the character. Rather, Taskmaster in the MCU seems to have a grievance with Black Widow and her cohorts, and leads his own well-trained squad of mercs.

Regardless of the character's motivation as a villain in Black Widow, Taskmaster can still take inspiration from Marvel Comics and progress beyond the events of the film and be rehabilitated much like Loki in the Thor franchise. This theory hinges drastically on the events of Black Widow. It could be that Natasha Romanoff and her 'family' of Red Room spies and super-soldiers end up terminating the Taskmaster. This would be a shame, as the character does have the potential for a powerful redemptive arc on-screen, as per the source material. Be it in a Thunderbolts movie, an MCU Deadpool reboot or the eventual Black Widow 2, Taskmaster could be the MCU's next great antihero.

Next: Black Widow Movie Theory: Taskmaster’s REAL Identity