Taskmaster, who will debut as the main villain of the upcoming Black Widow, should return as Wade Wilson's first MCU villain in Deadpool 3. The mysterious Taskmaster is the first big-screen villain of the MCU Phase 4, a threat that signifies Natasha Romanoff's true sendoff. The villain (and often antihero) has a photo-reflexive memory that lets him copy the abilities of anybody he comes across. His role in Black Widow and the potential introduction of the Thunderbolts promise he will be more than a simple one-off antagonist, and his next task could be to take down the Merc With A Mouth.

For a short time, Deadpool remained in limbo while Disney reacquired the rights to the X-Men and planned out how to adapt them to the MCU. Fortunately, Deadpool 3 has been confirmed to be retaining an R rating and taking place in the MCU. The only question now is what the story will be and how Deadpool will connect with the rest of the franchise once mutants are introduced. The movie's R rating makes it unlikely for Deadpool to team up with other major MCU characters, but he can face a villain who's tied to MCU icons. Enter Taskmaster.

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In the comics, Taskmaster and Deadpool are mercenary frenemies. Their jobs and similar methods of combat have made them cross paths on multiple occasions, and every time, Taskmaster has struggled to beat Deadpool's sheer unpredictability, which keeps "Tasky" from copying him. An encounter between the two in Deadpool 3 would help make Taskmaster a more complex character by forcing him to evolve and adapt as any main hero would. Their clash would further allow for comedic moments like Deadpool dancing the Macarena to beat Taskmaster and Taskmaster commenting on Deadpool's lack of professionalism.

Deadpool and Taskmaster in Movies and Comics

Taskmaster would also aid Deadpool's MCU interconnectivity. He would be the perfect choice for Deadpool’s first MCU-related jokes because Deadpool can poke fun at all the heroes Taskmaster copies without the need for those characters to actually appear in the movie. This degree of interconnectivity is ideal for Deadpool, who has always kept a considerable distance from the Avengers in the comics and from the X-Men in Fox's X-Men franchise. Both mercenaries could also team up in a Dark Avengers project, where they could develop their love-hate relationship from the comics.

Taskmaster has a bigger future ahead of him than many previous MCU villains. In Black Widow, Taskmaster is a dark reflection of the Avengers. In Deadpool 3, he can be the opposite: an antihero who does the right thing for the wrong reasons, just like Wade Wilson. Perhaps their first battle could have the audience wondering who's the real hero of the movie. Also, Deadpool would benefit from a more reliable buddy/foe than Spider-Man, whose presence in the MCU is complicated considering his shared custody with Sony.

More: If Deadpool 3 Is Rated-R, MCU’s Blade Has To Be Too

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