The biggest event of the year for the biggest movies of our lives is happening right now in San Diego, and the good news keeps coming. Despite being (spoiler alert) killed off in Avengers: Endgame, Natasha Romanoff will be back in her own film, Black Widow, and we now know her nemesis will be the Taskmaster.
Straight from the 2019 SDCC comes the words that fans of the long time mercenary have longed to hear, and have been anxiously waiting for since those set pictures surfaced last month. Having two master assassins going up against each other will be awesome to watch, especially since Hawkeye will be there to help out in some form, too.
It’ll be a change of pace for Marvel’s long line of superhero movies, as well. To date, we’ve seen demi-gods, super soldiers, masters of the mystical arts, and a scientist with breathtaking anger management issues all go up against a mad titan. It’s been a lot of super-powered fighting. This time, though? We’ll just have two very talented humans duking it out. That’s assuming the MCU’s version of the Taskmaster is only human, of course.
Who is the Taskmaster? Well, he showed up in the comics in 1980, in Avengers #195 and #196. His real name is Tony Masters and he has an extraordinary photographic memory. We’re not talking Vegas blackjack card counting skills here; it allows him to memorize his opponent’s fighting techniques and proceed to kick their asses. Looks like even the Black Widow might have her work cut out for her this time. Interestingly, the Taskmaster of the comics also trained some familiar future villains and heroes, including Crossbones and Spider-Woman.
If you weren’t excited for Black Widow before, hopefully this is the push you needed. And after hearing ScarJo’s co-star David Harbour’s excited words about the film, this movie’s looking to be an explosive start to Marvel’s Phase 4.
