'Black Widow' will see Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff square off against the famed Taskmaster
Scarlett Johansson's 'Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow first showed up in 'Iron Man 2' as Natalie Rushman. She was tasked to keep an eye on Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) after he announced his superhero identity to the world.
Famously dubbed the ultimate spy she was one of the characters whose past was pretty much unexplained in her eight MCU appearances. Romanoff was last seen in 'Avengers: Endgame' where she sacrificed herself on the planet Vormir to help the Avengers obtain the soul stone.
Now, the Russian spy finally gets her own standalone movie. A movie that fans always hoped would be part of MCU's second or third phase. Marvel Studios formally announced its Phase 4 lineup during its Hall H panel at the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2019 and confirmed 'Black Widow' will premiere May 1, 2020, making it the very first Phase 4 movie.
Coming to the antagonist in the movie, it was revealed Romanoff will be squaring off against the Taskmaster. The Taskmaster has been one of those much-awaited villains who was expected to make an appearance in the Infinity saga.
He was created by artists George Pérez and David Michelinie and featured in 'The Avengers #196' comic issue titled 'The Terrible Toll of the Taskmaster'. His powers are well-documented in the comics and one of his ability was mastering any physical skill by simply watching it being performed.
He was also known for being the man behind the training of A.I.M. and Hydra agents, although there have been no mentions of him when the superheroes Iron Man and Captain America took both entities on in 'Iron Man 3' and 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' respectively.
Once he learns his opponent's fighting style, he can predict moves and attacks in a fight and that made the villain a deadly nemesis for the heroes. Taskmaster was even seen carrying a shield after he learns Captain America's moves and deadly attacks using the Vibranium shield.
It was also revealed in the comics that in addition to his photographic memory, the Taskmaster injected himself with a corrupted version of the Super Soldier serum. The Taskmaster was also part of the comic version of the 'Civil War'. Post the battle, he was recruited for missions by the Secret Avengers.
During the exclusive 'Black Widow' trailer released during SDCC, fans got a look at the famed villain as he faced off against Romanoff. As reported by Polygon, the scene saw his costume made up of red and blue colors with a chromed mask that resembled a skull.
He was shown to have carried a sword and shield as well. In the final shot of the footage, he mirrors Romanoff's movements accurately, showing his trademark superpower. At the moment, it is still unclear who plays the famed baddie.
Guess we'll know more about Marvel's version of the Taskmaster and his plans to exact revenge on his enemies when 'Black Widow' hits theaters May 1, 2020.