Marvel Studios’ Black Widow movie is finally here. And with it comes the Taskmaster, a classic Marvel villain who is finally joining the MCU to face off against Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanov in the film.
But just who is Taskmaster, and what makes him capable of going toe-to-toe with one of the greatest super-spies in the Marvel Universe? Read on to learn more about this dangerous yet tragic mercenary villain.
Who Is Taskmaster?
Taskmaster is widely feared as one of the most dangerous mercenaries in the Marvel Universe. That’s because his photographic reflexes allow him to mimic the fighting style of anyone he studies. Taskmaster briefly turned to a life of crime, but he quickly realized that his skills are better used training other villains how to fight. Taskmaster will lend his knowledge and experience to any organization that can meet his price, be it Hydra, SHIELD, AIM or the Thunderbolts. Deep down he’s not such a bad guy, but Taskmaster will never let his morals get in the way of a paycheck.
For a quick breakdown of all characters in the Black Widow movie, watch the video below!
Taskmaster’s Powers and Abilities
Taskmaster was injected with an offshoot of the super-soldier serum that unlocked the full potential of his mind’s memory processes. Because of this, he has photographic reflexes. He can recreate the movements and fighting styles of anyone he observes, and he can also predict their movements in battle with near-perfect accuracy. That effectively makes him as talented a martial artist as heroes like Shang-Chi and Daredevil and as expert a marksman as Hawkeye and Bullseye. Taskmaster carries a wide arsenal of weapons that further help him replicate the moves of other heroes and villains. He wields a shield similar to Captain America’s, a sword similar to that of Swordsman and Black Knight and various other projectile weapons.
In addition to making him one of the deadliest fighters in the Marvel Universe, this unique talent has made Taskmaster a very in-demand martial arts instructor. He often makes his living training soldiers in the arts of self-defense and battlefield combat.
Taskmaster’s abilities do come with certain drawbacks. For one thing, he can be caught off-guard when battling unfamiliar opponents or someone like Deadpool, whose fighting style is chaotic and unpredictable. And his photographic reflexes come at a heavy cost. The more he relies on his abilities, the more Taskmaster’s brain literally overwrites old memories. Because of this, he remembers very little about his past and family.
Related Post
Taskmaster: Origin and Background
Taskmaster first debuted in cameo form in 1980’s The Avengers #195, before making his first full appearance in the following issue. These early stories established a basic origin story and modus operandi for the villain. They also showed him capable of battling powerful Avengers like Captain America and Iron Man to a standstill, though ultimately his unfamiliarity with the relatively recent recruit Jocasta proved to be his undoing.
Who Plays Taskmaster in Black Widow?
Taskmaster was once rumored to appear in Marvel’s Most Wanted, a planned Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD spinoff, but that project was eventually canceled. Instead, he now makes his debut in the MCU in the Black Widow movie, where he’ll be ripping off Captain America’s most iconic move. As for who is playing him, or what his (or her?) true identity is in the film, only time will tell. Some fans have speculated that it’s actually going to be a female behind the mask — possibly one of Nat’s allies, like Rachel Weisz’s Melina Vostokoff or Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. Or perhaps it will just be a faceless henchman in the role… but, nah, who are we kidding? Taskmaster’s identity must be an important part of the film!
For more on the Black Widow movie, check out our explainer on David Harbour’s Red Guardian.
July 8, 2021: This story has been updated with the most recent information about the Black Widow movie.
Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(736x399:738x401)/subway-woman-setting-on-fire-122324-1-412df262c32e40e79ea5a46b116f0edc.jpg "Man Arrested for Setting Woman on Fire Inside N.Y.C. Subway Car")
