BLACK WIDOW Promo Art May Shed Some Light On How Taskmaster's Powers Work In The MCU

Yesterday's final trailer for Black Widow showed Taskmaster pulling off moves belonging to everyone from Iron Man to Black Panther and Hawkeye, but does this promo art shed some light on how that works?

By JoshWilding - Mar 10, 2020 02:03 PM EST

Filed Under: Black Widow

With Black Widow fast approaching, more details about the Marvel Studios movie are finally starting to be revealed. However, pretty much everything related to Taskmaster remains shrouded in secrecy, and we still don't know how this version of the character's powers actually work.

In the comic books, the villain is able to memorise and copy the moves of anyone he sees in action, but that means he subsequently loses his own memories of the past.

It's a tragic and somewhat unique backstory, but one which could be difficult to translate to the big screen, especially if Taskmaster has a history with Natasha Romanoff. Now, though, some newly revealed promo art could point to the villain's "powers" being technological in nature. As you can see, there certainly appears to be a lot going on beneath those visors of his.

Perhaps he uses that to store the moves of certain superheroes and then utilises them with his own fighting abilities? It's hard to say for sure, but there's a lot of speculation online thanks to this image.

Do you think Marvel Studios is putting a new spin on Taskmaster in Black Widow?

Hit the "Next" button to take a look through the
biggest reveals in the final Black Widow trailer!

Natasha's "Family"

In Avengers: Endgame, we learned that Natasha never knew the name of her father, so chances are Yelena isn't her sister, Melina isn't her mother, and Alexei isn't her father!

Given the nature of the Soviet Union and the secrecy of the Red Room, chances are this foursome was put together as a cover of sorts, and they're clearly used to working together. Natasha and Yelena seem particularly close, and it's interesting that the latter has seemingly concocted a cover story to explain where her "sister" vanished to.

This dynamic looks set to be a lot of fun, but can they all be trusted? Well, there are some concerning hints that might not be the case for everyone, but we'll get to that a little later...

A History With Taskmaster?

This trailer for Black Widow never really reveals whether the movie will delve into her origin story, but the voiceover certainly points to that being the case. It sounds like Natasha definitely has a history with Taskmaster, and the sequence above points to them having met years earlier.

Could this also be where The Winter Soldier comes in? After all, if the Soviet Union sent assassins after Natasha when she tried to escape Russia and the Red Room, it would make sense for both him and Taskmaster to target the future Avenger.

Either way, it appears as if Taskmaster is either emulating Captain America or Red Guardian (based on what we see him do a little later in the trailer), and this is just the first of many fighting styles the villain demonstrates throughout the course of this new look at the Marvel movie.

Is Taskmaster An Iron Man 2 Fan?

That seems like a fair question considering the fact he appears to be watching the sequel here!

In all seriousness, though, this is obviously meant to be a tease regarding Taskmaster's ability to copy the moves of any opponent he watches in action, and the villain is clearly learning what Black Widow is capable of and saving that to emulate when they next come to blows.

However, it's also possible that we're going to revisit Natasha's life before and during Iron Man 2, and that he's actually keeping a close eye on what his former protégé is up to.

Taskmaster Is The Movie's Big Bad

Up until now, it seems as if the vast majority of fans have just assumed that the Red Room as a whole will be this movie's villain, or that one of her so-called family members will be outed as a baddie. However, no one has really pegged Taskmaster as Natasha's main foe in this adventure.

Well, this trailer confirms that he's the one in charge of the Red Room and training all the new Black Widows (and let's face it, there's probably no one better for them to learn from).

As expected, the trailer doesn't reveal his identity, but it would only make sense for Taskmaster to be someone from Natasha's past. In fact, it could even be that he's the one who trained her, albeit not under the guise of "Taskmaster" but we'll have to wait and see on that front.

Does Yelena Belova Fall Under The Red Room's Control Again?

This is a very brief shot in the trailer, but it seems that during the final battle, Yelena (who is also wearing that "White Widow" outfit) will be captured by Taskmaster and his goons.

Considering the fact she mentions that Taskmaster has come up with a way to control those in the Red Room, this serum could be used for that purpose, and it's possible that the villain wants to put her back under his control. If that's the case, it's entirely possible she will end up betraying her "sister" at some point during the movie's final battle.

If that's the case, it could also set the stage for this brainwashed, evil version of Yelena to join the Thunderbolts! Why else wasn't she around helping out Natasha in Avengers: Infinity War?

A Possible Iron Maiden Reveal

We're betting you missed this, right? When Melina takes Natasha into her hidden armoury, we see that she's got a comic accurate version of the "Iron Maiden" mask her villainous comic book counterpart wears. That version of the character hated Natasha because she lived in her shadow when they worked for the USSR, so is it possible this Melina holds a similar level of resentment?

There's been speculation from pretty much the very start that Rachel Weisz's character will be outed as Black Widow's villain, and this reveal certainly points to a third act twist in which we learn that she's also "Iron Maiden." It's possible this is just an Easter Egg, of course, but it would be a real waste to include a nod to the source material like this and then not have it eventually pay off.

Taskmaster's Familiar Moves

It's not just Captain America/Red Guardian's moves that Taskmaster steals in this trailer.

As suspected after those Funko Pop and action figure images showed up online, Taskmaster does indeed have claws in his costume, and imitates Black Panther's fighting style. That alone makes him extremely formidable, and it also explains those shots of him wielding a bow like Hawkeye.

Seeing which other tricks he has up his sleeve promises to be a highlight in Black Widow as there are bound to be other heroes and villains whose moves Taskmaster is an expert using.

What Is Natasha's Mission?

It's still hard to say for sure, but it now appears as if this movie is going to revolve around Black Widow and her team attempting to shut down the Red Room once and for all.

Something tell us that Red Guardian was probably imprisoned for defying his Russian overlords, while Yelena and Melina have more than likely become outcasts or are on the run for similar reasons. Natasha fleeing to the United States to join S.H.I.E.L.D. could be what caused that, hence why we're convinced Melina will reveal her true, villainous nature as Iron Maiden.

Regardless, bringing down the Red Room definitely feels like a strong premise for this film.

General "Thunderbolt" Ross Returns

There are plenty of rumours out there about General "Thunderbolt" Ross' role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward, including the fact that he could become the Red Hulk and eventually take charge of the Thunderbolts (a new team of "Avengers" in this shared world).

However, before we start getting too excited about that, it's worth noting that this scene appears to be taking place in the United States, and given Iron Man's warning at the end of Captain America: Civil War, chances are Ross is probably just looking to bring Black Widow to justice here.

Alas, common sense says he will fail, and Natasha will flee to Russia where she meets her old friends...

Red Guardian Kicks Some Serious Ass

Despite theories that Red Guardian is also secretly Taskmaster (which doesn't seem very likely considering the fact he's previously been seen fighting the villain), this trailer makes it clear once and for all that's not the case.

He's clearly a hero and someone looking out for Natasha's best interests. Whether he has a future in the MCU moving forward is hard to say, but this chopper does seem to be going down when he uses his shield to send one of Taskmaster's goons flying into oblivion!

It's interesting that he, Captain America, and Taskmaster all have a shield in common, though!

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42 Comments

1 2

SonOfAGif - 3/10/2020, 2:47 PM

He gets his Intel from Ross. He has everyone's fight patterns from Civil War.

PicolasCage - 3/10/2020, 3:28 PM

@SonOfAGif - damn, good theory. I buy that

HeavyMetal4Life - 3/10/2020, 4:16 PM

@SonOfAGif -

MrCamw1 - 3/10/2020, 2:48 PM

"Anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you" I dont know the rest of the lyrics but you get the idea.

L0RDbuckethead - 3/10/2020, 6:25 PM

@MrCamw1 -

WeaponXCII - 3/10/2020, 2:57 PM

I have to say, if this is how they're interpreting the character, I really, really don't like it. It's like how the original idea was for Wolverine's claws to be housed in his gloves- which they changed, because they realized that then anyone could become Wolverine. If this is what we're getting, what makes him unique? What's stopping just anyone from putting on the his suit and becoming Taskmaster?

Repian - 3/10/2020, 3:00 PM

NinnesMBC - 3/10/2020, 3:06 PM

Off-topic: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier shuts down shooting in Prague over COVID-19 fears.

https://deadline.com/2020/03/falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-halted-coronavirus-prague-disney-plus-1202878797/

inkniron - 3/10/2020, 3:20 PM

Ok, he records and stores them? Then what? Unless there is a chip implanted in his brain that puts the info to immediate use, seems pretty dumb.

Tonic24k - 3/10/2020, 4:10 PM

@inkniron - I think you don't really know what's going on.

inkniron - 3/10/2020, 4:29 PM

@Tonic24k - Kind of my point. The article is almost entirely wild speculation. I hope they stick to a pretty comic accurate interpretation though.

KWilly - 3/10/2020, 3:20 PM

Finally! An MCU villain that's simply just a big fan of the MCU. Talk about reliability.

JonC - 3/10/2020, 3:22 PM

@KWilly - this poster appeared a week or two ago at which time i proposed that (not seeing eyes behind the computer images) that he could be an android.

GhostDog - 3/10/2020, 3:31 PM

Na just seems like an advanced visor/helmet. He would need to have some sort of implants in his muscles and brain to implement it all.

bkmeijer2 - 3/10/2020, 3:50 PM

So he pretty much has the same tech as Iron Man had in his fight with Cap in Civil War. Here's hoping Tasky isn't a former stark-employee too

Vigor - 3/10/2020, 3:55 PM

@MalseMarcel - I'd just like to clarify, that Tony's AI analyzed caps moves to find out how to counter him. Tasky would be figuring out how to fight LIKE him. Subtle difference there. Just didn't want it to be misconstrued what they were showing Friday do

bkmeijer2 - 3/11/2020, 2:11 AM

@Vigor - good point, didnt think of that. Just wondering how the movie is gonna show it

528491 - 3/10/2020, 3:55 PM

Really hoping that all the chatter around O-T Fagbenle is just misdirection, and that Taskmaster is revealed to be Tim Roth's Emil Blonsky from The Incredible Hulk.

I'd like to imagine that after injecting him with the powers of the Hulk in that movie, General Ross just kept on injecting him with the powers of every other Avenger until he became The Taskmaster.

Not going to happen, but would be super fun if it did.

Vigor - 3/10/2020, 3:56 PM

@528491 - of all the theories I've seen, this is the most out there

You do remember blonsky became a really large tan colored abomination with spikes protruding out his back right?

528491 - 3/10/2020, 4:15 PM

@Vigor - Easy enough to write around that.... It wore off, they injected him with an anti-dote, etc. etc...

I am of course not entirely serious about the idea, but it would at least work well on some thematic level given the presence of General Ross, and the idea of re-creating Avengers powersets. Probably less so in terms of Natasha having no emotional connection to Blonsky, but stil.

Vigor - 3/10/2020, 5:02 PM

@528491 - I hear ya. But I'd rather blonsky be blonsky and tony masters be tony masters

Two totally different personalities. Think about it. Blonsky was boisterous and arrogant. Taskmaster at least in these trailers, is quiet and calculating

Reeds2Much - 3/10/2020, 4:32 PM

Looks like a HUD.

Reeds2Much - 3/10/2020, 4:41 PM

Maybe it plays Youtube clips when he needs to switch things up.

cdpacheco89 - 3/11/2020, 5:16 AM

I originally assumed it was a full on robot but this guides me to believe he's some sort of cyborg. The Intel can be downloaded and transcribed to data that makes his body parts react. It's like robocop where he controls his actions but doesnt have much of a body

cjspade - 3/11/2020, 5:30 AM

Isn't Task supposed to have a photographic memory that he uses to support his quick learning and even his learning in amidst battle? I would say just stick with that and his skill.

1 2

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BLACK WIDOW Promo Art May Shed Some Light On How Taskmaster's Powers Work In The MCU

Yesterday's final trailer for Black Widow showed Taskmaster pulling off moves belonging to everyone from Iron Man to Black Panther and Hawkeye, but does this promo art shed some light on how that works?

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