Black Widow: This was the Taskmaster that the MCU needs

The Taskmaster in Black Widow wasn’t like the comic books, but they were what the movie needed. 

For Marvel Comics fans, Taskmaster was one of the most anticipated things about Black Widow. In the comics, he is one of the most skilled and formidable characters around. Having the ability to do anything you see helps but he still has to know how to use those skills in action – and he has. He’s constantly shown people that he has more than enough fighting prowess to defeat opponents like Spider-Man, Hyperion and Iron Man.

On top of his superb fighting skills, Taskmaster is entertaining. He’s funny, smart, and knows how to get out of almost every situation. Sometimes that means running away (he did that when Black Widow came after him in his 2020 mini-series). We weren’t given his humorous personality Black Widow. No, all we received was his dangerous side. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

***WARNING!!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!***

Why Black Widow’s portrayal of Taskmaster was a good thing

One thing that you can guarantee about movie fans is that not everyone will love what they see. Some people will always have something negative to say about a movie. Sometimes the criticism is warranted. While this writer doesn’t completely agree with fans’ gripes about Black Widow‘s portrayal of Taskmaster, he understands.

Tasky didn’t have the attitude they wanted, the character development wasn’t there, and the Antonia reveal was a bit obvious. Nevertheless, you can’t have it all – especially not in a two-hour movie.

Adding more Antonia would have taken away from Natasha and Yelena. Considering this story was about them, the relationship with their family, and building up Yelena for future MCU projects, it wouldn’t have made sense. Even still, Taskmaster was more than enough the way she was.

Antonia was intimidating and ruthless. There was nothing anyone could do to take Taskmaster down. Not even Alexei and his superior strength was a match for her. Because of this, it ensured that Black Widow and Taskmaster’s final battle made more sense. Natasha couldn’t beat Tasky in a fight but she could set her free.

What’s next for Black Widow’s Taskmaster?

Here’s the best part of all this. Now Taskmaster can be properly built up. Antonia will have a chance to become whatever is needed for the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward.

Marvel Studios has an opportunity to create something new and bolder than what’s in Marvel Comics. She could be anything including one of the most dangerous mercenaries on the planet or a member of an elite super-team.

In a previous article, this writer wondered if the Thunderbolts were coming. Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine recruited John Walker (now U.S. Agent) in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. During the post-credit scene of Black Widow, we see Valentina again and Yelena is working for her. With Taskmaster looking for a purpose in life, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine was there to assist with that. She could give Antonia a legal identity, money, and a reason to live. While all this is going on, the former Taskmaster could be with Yelena learning about herself and the world.

It’s easy to be disappointed when a character you enjoy isn’t what you expected. This writer would be lying if he said that he didn’t want more from Taskmaster in Black Widow. Nevertheless, there’s still hope for the future. She could return at some point down the line and end up being better than any antagonist we’ve previously seen. So while we all may have wanted more, let’s trust that what we saw in Black Widow is only the beginning of Taskmaster’s journey.

Black Widow is in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access now.

What do you think? Will Taskmaster be better in a future Marvel Studios project? Where would you like to see her next? Let us know in the comments below.