Let's talk about that mysterious baddie in 'Black Widow'

Black Widow boasts some of the best non-CGI action the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen in a long time, and that's thanks in no small part to a brand new character: Taskmaster.

Though the casting was kept secret, Taskmaster was a known part of Black Widow's plot. When the character first shows up in the film, it's with the thunderous and menacing might of a certain Winter Soldier many years ago. But where we always knew the Winter Soldier was Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Taskmaster remained a mystery. Was it comics character Anthony Masters? General Dreykov himself? An android, alien, or wizard, here to threaten Natasha's (Scarlett Johansson) brief respite from such things?

It was none of the above, but Dreykov's daughter Antonia (Olga Kurylenko), whom Nat thought she killed in an explosion many years ago. Antonia survived with brain damage, and Dreykov took control of her mind, training her extensively to mimic those she witnesses in combat. In Black Widow, we see her imitate nearly every Avenger present at the airport battle in Captain America: Civil War — except Ant-Man, Scarlet Witch, and Vision, for obvious reasons.

This was messed up! Credit: Jay Maidment / marvel

In the comics, Taskmaster is a mercenary named Tony Masters (yes, another Tony). Like Antonia, he picks things up by watching, but in his case due to "photographic reflexes" (and eventually some of that super-soldier serum everyone loves so much). He parlayed his skills into working for S.H.I.E.L.D. and other government agencies, his own independent organization, and fighting multiple Avengers.

Our MCU version is nothing like that, and her origins make for a compelling backstory in Black Widow. Natasha's history with the Red Room is one of suffering and lost agency. She and Yelena lost their childhoods, lives, and identities to what Dreykov did to them, and the same can be said of Antonia. Her final words in the film, "Is he gone?" indicate that she was more present than Dreykov admits, that she knew what was being done to her and did not want it.

With Dreykov out of the picture, Antonia has options. Nat and Yelena saw to Dreykov, and if there's any MCU character who deserves a quiet life in the countryside, it's this one (there's a vacancy in Wakanda at Bucky's old hut). We're not sure how Dreykov's serum works or if the rest of Antonia's body was harmed when she was a child. With Yelena off to seek revenge against Clint Barton, Val might catch wind of the skilled fighter from the Red Room and try to recruit her, at her own peril.

And what of Tony and Taskmaster's comics history? Nothing's ever off the table when it comes to Marvel.

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