‘Black Widow’ Poster Reveals First Official Look At Taskmaster

Marvel’s first official poster for Black Widow gives us our first look at Taskmaster, the apparent primary antagonist of the film, set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.

Taskmaster is an interesting Marvel villain in that he technically does not have superpowers in the traditional sense, but he has a photographic memory and has trained himself to be “photo-reflexive”, so he can mimic the fighting style of any superhero he’s facing off against. He’s also armed with a shield and a sword. While his arsenal is not on display on the first poster meant to promote Black Widow, his mask is, showcasing that he’ll have a skull-like design after all.

The Black Widow poster, which has just been revealed at the Disney D23 Expo, can be glimpsed below, with Taskmaster standing right behind Black Widow herself:

First poster for Black Widow gives us our first look at David Harbour as Red Guardian!!! pic.twitter.com/UrpVaPtvA7

— Nathaniel Brail (@NateBrail) August 25, 2019

While there were initially concerns that set photos of Taskmaster’s design (which indicated that he would have a look similar to the UDON design) indicated that the character’s costume wouldn’t have the villain’s skull mask, it appears as though the final film has skeletal features. There’s what looks like a nose bone right beneath the glasses, and you can clearly see teeth markings. What sets this look apart from the comics is that the character has a dark, one-way visor that resembles a set of sunglasses.

There is no word as to who is playing Taskmaster behind the mask, so it seems likely that the character’s identity is going to be a mystery that won’t be resolved until the film comes out. The footage released in conventions has Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff facing off against him, and Taskmaster is only slightly taller than her in those scenes. Taskmaster doesn’t tower over Black Widow, so that should at least help narrow speculation down as far as the villain’s identity is concerned.

Full plot details on Black Widow are currently under wraps, though it has been revealed that the film is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War and will see Scarlett Johansson’s Nathasha Romanoff take on the villainous Taskmaster. The film will also mark the Marvel Cinematic Universe debut of Yelena Belova, the second modern-era character to use the Black Widow title in the comics.

Directed by Cate Shortland from a script written by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson, Black Widow stars Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O-T Fagbenle, and Rachel Weisz. Production is currently underway.

Black Widow will be released in theaters on May 1, 2020. Stay tuned for the latest news on the Scarlett Johansson movie!