Given the unending wait for Black Widow to get here, we’ve seen so much marketing material already, including trailers, posters, promo images, etc. But one character who’s been kept out of most of it is Rick Mason, who’ll be played by English actor O.T. Fagbenle in the upcoming MCU movie. Some new pics have now come our way from the film, though, which reveal our best look at Rick yet.
As shared by a fan on Twitter, these images arrive from a Black Widow tie-in publication. The two photos showcase the character chatting with Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff by an aircraft. The second image, a close-up of the star, then appears to be from a different scene – note his change of clothes.
Check them out in the gallery below:
In case you’ve missed all the conspiracy theories, fans think they know why Fagbenle has been kept out of the promotional material so far, as they believe that Rick will be revealed to be Taskmaster’s secret identity. By hiding him from the marketing, Marvel may be attempting to wrong-foot us and make us question other characters who’ve been prominently featured, like Florence Pugh’s Yelena or Rachel Weisz’s Melina.
If fans are right, though, Taskmaster may turn out to be Rick. These images tell us that he’s an ally of Nat’s and the first pic seems to show them working on a plan together, so he’s likely someone she thinks she can trust. As such, it’d be a big rug-pull moment if he’s ultimately unveiled as the villain of the piece. And this isn’t just based on speculation, as Fagbenle himself has also hinted at that twist on social media a couple of times.
Having skipped its planned release this month, Black Widow is now on course to land in theaters next May, a year after it was initially expected to arrive.
