Tony Stark is one of the greatest heroes in the MCU and his act of self-sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame saved the entire universe from obliteration, but he has a somewhat embarrassing reputation for creating villains, too. His advanced Iron Man technology has been the basis for some of the biggest threats in the franchise, from the Iron Monger to Ultron. Even after his death, his life’s work continues to inspire villainy almost as much as heroism, with Spider-Man: Far From Home‘s Mysterio also being powered by Stark Industries tech.
And according to a fan theory shared by ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis, we haven’t seen the last of Stark-created bad guys on screen. The theory goes that Black Widow‘s big bad Taskmaster will be another Stark creation of sorts, and there’s plenty of evidence to support this idea.
See for yourself below:
Did Iron Man create Taskmaster?pic.twitter.com/tHNRGLYtPt
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) July 21, 2020
As the video explains: Taskmaster’s main power is the ability to mimic other characters’ skills and fighting techniques and Stark tech could easily be the source of this in the MCU. As Davis points out, Stark’s F.R.I.D.A.Y. AI mapped out every move Captain America made during their battle scene in Civil War and used it to smartly predict his attack and defence patterns. This could be exactly the same technology behind Taskmaster’s uncanny copycat skills.
Further evidence to back up the theory comes from the Black Widow trailer itself, a fleeting shot where Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova is being held captive, to be specific. Eagle-eyed fans have spotted a word written on the wall behind her: A.I.M., which Marvel fans will recognize as an acronym for Advanced Idea Mechanics, AKA Aldrich Killian’s company from Iron Man 3. Although Killian was killed off in the MCU, that doesn’t necessarily mean his organization died with him. It’s possible that the heir to his empire would have an axe to grind with the Avengers, and would probably have the means to steal Stark tech and use it against them, too.
So, the evidence supporting the theory that Black Widow‘s Taskmaster will be Stark tech-based is certainly compelling, and let’s face it, it wouldn’t be the first time Iron Man has been responsible for the rise of a bad guy. We’ll find out just how accurate this prediction is though in November, when the movie arrives in theatres.