Black Widow released just yesterday and has won praises within such a short time and is being lauded as a worthy farewell to Scarlett Johansson’s fan-favorite character. However, there has also been discussion around the character of The Taskmaster, especially amongst fans of the comic universe.
1. Who Is The Taskmaster In The Comics?
The Taskmaster in the comics is Tony Masters, an ex-agent of the S.H.I.E.L.D who turned into a mercenary. He can watch and mimic his adversaries’ fighting styles, making him the perfect weapon. This ability is known as photographic reflexes, and the writers have always debated if it can be considered a superpower.
The Taskmaster went on to open a training school, to train a group of the most skilled and fatal mercenaries. However, he has also worked with the government to train their people.
His arsenal of weapons is diverse, owing to his ability to imitate others. He carries a replica of Captain America’s shield, a sword, various firearms, throwing darts, and more! Being adept in several forms of martial arts, he has fought toe-to-toe with the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, Hawk Eye, Ant-Man, and many others.
2. Identity Of The Taskmaster In Black Widow
In MCU, The Taskmaster is Antonia Dreykov, daughter of the Dreykov who runs The Red Room. Antonia was turned into a weapon by Dreykov after she suffered severe injuries due to an attack led by Black Widow and the S.H.I.E.L.D.
Natasha Romanoff was a member of The Red Room but wanted an escape. So she, along with S.H.I.E.L.D, decided to end the syndicate by killing its head Dreykov. It was also the mission where that would be proof of her allegiance with S.H.I.E.L.D.
She then intercepts Dreykov’s location and confirms his presence, ensuring that his daughter reaches the room in which he is. Once she has a visual of the daughter in the same room, she goes ahead with the kill by bombing the place.
Years later, due to Civil War events, Romanoff is an international fugitive on the run. When she goes back to her roots, she finds out that Dreykov isn’t really dead, and The Red Room is more powerful than ever.
During the climax, it is revealed that the Taskmaster is none other than Antonia, whom she called ‘collateral damage.’ Dreykov tells how Antonia had suffered fatal injuries due to the blast, and then he ‘had’ to convert her into his weapon to keep her alive.
He inserted a chip on her neck that allowed him to control every move of hers despite her will. She could perceive any fighter’s style and even mimic it. We see her fight like the Black Panther, Captain America, and Natasha herself in the film. She also carries a sword and a shield as her primary weapons.
After several attempts to kill Black Widow the Taskmaster finally becomes Antonia after Natasha sprays the serum in the final sequence. It is interesting to see how MCU is diverging from the comics with characters such as the Taskmaster and the ancient one in Dr. Strange, and these characters nonetheless have been impressive.
Will we see more of the Taskmaster in other MCU films? I guess we’ll just have to wait to find out.
3. About Black Widow
Black Widow is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Directed by Cate Shortland and written by Eric Pearson, the movie stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff alongside Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz.
It will be the first film in Phase Four of the MCU, and was delayed three times from an original May 2020 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disney confirms Marvel Studios’ Black Widow will release on Disney+ for no extra cost to existing subscribers after its Premier Access release, October 6.
The film follows Natasha Romanoff as she confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
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