Black Widow’s primary villain Taskmaster appears to be skillful in handling a shield reminiscent of Captain America, giving fans the impression that this might just be Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in disguise. However, is that really a possibility?

Marvel Studios is opening up their Phase 4 slate with Scarlett Johansson’s long-overdue solo MCU movie this May. Directed by Cate Shortland, the film takes place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War and will give fans an idea on what Natasha’s life was before she became a prominent member of the Avengers. This means that we’ll meet other key players in her life that we haven’t met before such as David Harbour’s Alexei Shoskatov/Red Guardian, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, and Rachel Weisz’s Melina.

The Black Widow have done a great job marketing the movie without revealing much of its story, but one particular element of the project that the studio is being very coy about is its villain. At this point, Marvel hasn’t even revealed who is playing Taskmaster, but it has teased a big connection to Captain America, which should have some major implications on Black Widow’s story.

Is Taskmaster Really Captain America Disguise?

Not much is known regarding the MCU’s Taskmaster. As mentioned, the actor who plays the character remains a tight secret even with the movie only five months away from rolling out in theaters. However, given what we’ve seen from him in Black Widow’s new trailer, fans are wondering if there’s any possibility that the character is Steve Roger in disguise. A lot of the action sequences in the new clip had already been seen in the previous trailer, but the one-on-one fight between Taskmaster and Natasha is among the new ones (although it was already shown in the D-23 Expo crowd last year). The sequence highlights how insanely skillful the villain is in mimicking the actions of his opponents evidenced by his almost mirroring of Natasha’s moves. However, one particular moment that has become a big talking point is his ability to use his shield - which is very reminiscent of how Captain America maneuvers with his Vibranium-made weapon.

Technically, since Black Widow takes place in the two years between Civil War and Infinity War, and Captain America with Sam Wilson/Bucky (Anthony Mackie) is operating underground, this idea can be pulled off without breaking continuity. So, is Taskmaster simply Steve with an all-new gear and sudden grudge against Natasha? The short answer is no. As cool as the theory is, it doesn’t make sense for Marvel Studios to bring back such a beloved character this way especially with how Avengers: Endgame capped off his story. There’s also no logical reason why he’d be pursuing Natasha this way when she’d just risked her life switching sides during the Sokovia Accords debacle.

How Did Taskmaster Learn Captain America’s Skills

In the comics, Taskmaster’s real name is Tony Masters. Born in New York, he has this unique skill of being able to duplicate the movements of others by simply watching them. This capability has been dubbed as “photographic reflexes.” Masters was once part of S.H.I.E.L.D. and was instrumental in some of their operations. During an encounter with a dying scientist, he was injected with an experimental version of the Nazi’s Super Soldier Serum which gave him additional abilities but weakened his memory. Marvel Studios updates their character adaptations, but they tend to stick to signature characteristics which means that Black Widow’s version will somehow be similar to his print counterpart.

With his mimicking ability, it’s easy to explain why he moves very similarly to Captain America. If Marvel Studios want to further tie him into the bigger MCU, they can reveal that Steve already had an encounter with him prior to his appearance in Black Widow. It doesn’t need to be an elaborate story, simply show that he somehow had a run-in with the Star Spangled Avenger. However, if Kevin Feige and his team are looking for the easiest explanation possible, they can reveal that Taskmaster just saw videos of Captain America fighting. Treated as a war hero all the way from World War II, there are various ways to access videos of Steve in battle. Captain America: The Winter Soldier even revealed that a museum has a dedicated shrine for him. Otherwise, amateur video of him during the Battle of New York from Joss Whedon’s The Avengers should be enough material for Taskmaster to work with.

Taskmaster Represents Black Widow Fighting Her NEW Family

Having a skillful one-on-one fighter like Natasha battle out Taskmaster in Black Widow poses some great action sequences for the film. The trailers thus far gives off a grounded, gritty vibe - which is refreshing considering that the MCU has just come from ensemble and galactic projects. Thematically, it also leans in on exploring Natasha’s relationship with her families. It’s clear that the movie will reunite Natasha with people she shared a history with, and maybe even cared for as evidenced by Alexei’s “family, back together again” line. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that Taskmaster interestingly moves the same way some of her Avengers comrades do.

The first sneak peek for Black Widow debuted Taskmaster using a bow and arrow, the signature weapon of Clint Barton/Hawkeye - arguably Natasha’s closest friend among her fellow Avengers. At one point, fans also wondered if the masked character could be the Avengers’ resident marksman which may likely not be the case. Rumor has it, however, that the upcoming film will reveal the Budapest incident that the pair kept on referencing. There’s no concrete word whatsoever regarding Jeremy Renner’s involvement but it’s not outside the realm of possibility that this happens.

Given this notion, it doesn’t seem coincidental that Taskmaster exhibits skills that’s very reminiscent of Captain America in the latest Black Widow trailer. While Natasha’s bond with Steve was entirely different from Clint, the pair went through some tumultuous times together. They dealt with the fallout of S.H.I.E.L.D.; operated underground as they refused to sign the Sokovia Accords; fought and eventually lost to Thanos (Josh Brolin); and then of course, coped with their devastating failure in the five-year time-jump in Endgame. Their somber conversation in Avengers: Endgame proved that they did develop a strong bond since they met during the events of The Avengers.

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It’s curious if Marvel Studios will reveal more about the real identity of Taskmaster ahead of Black Widow’s debut. Frankly, they can save the detail for the movie itself. So far, the marketing has seen the villain showcasing moves and capabilities from Hawkeye and Captain America, and it’ll be interesting to see if they will continue this scheme with another reveal that Taskmaster can also mimic the actions of Natasha’s other fellow Avengers such as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) or Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and maybe even Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), although they’re admittedly harder to copy.

More: Marvel’s Most Exciting 2020 Movies Aren’t Proper MCU Films

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