BLACK WIDOW Actor O-T Fagbenle Confirms He Was Originally Up For Taskmaster Role

BLACK WIDOW Actor O-T Fagbenle Confirms He Was Originally Up For Taskmaster Role

O-T Fagbenle, who played Natasha Romanoff's fix-it man Mason in Black Widow, has confirmed that he was originally up for the role of Taskmaster...

By MarkCassidy - May 08, 2025 06:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Black Widow
Source: The Direct

In the build-up to Black Widow's release, fans were convinced that The Handmaid's Tale actor O-T Fagbenle would be unveiled as the man behind Taskmaster's mask, but it turned out that his character, Rick Mason, really was just the guy who sorted out Natasha Romanoff's (Scarlet Johansson) weapons and travel arrangements.

Towards the end of the movie, we learned that Taskmaster was actually Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko), who reprised the role for Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts*.

This new take on the villain wasn't exactly embraced by fans, who were hoping to see the original comic book incarnation of the character, Anthony "Tony" Masters. Now, Fagbenle has confirmed that Marvel was originally planning to introduce a male take on Taskmaster, and he auditioned for the role.

"Basically, I first auditioned for Taskmaster, and it was this, it was a really incredible speech, actually. It was an audition I was very proud of. I've still got it in the back someplace. And, he was this — I made him with an African accent, and he was this kind of maniacal-like character."

Though Fagbenle isn't sure why, plans clearly changed along the way and Marvel decided to go in a different direction with the super-skilled assassin.

"And somewhere along the journey of writing and things above my pay grade — So, I basically got [told] that [the role] was down to like, 'Is it me or is it someone else.' That kind of thing for that version of Taskmaster. And in the various iterations of the movie, that version of Taskmaster went away, and then they just came to me and was like, 'Hey, there is this character called Mason, do you want to play Mason?'... So I was like, 'Hell yeah,' I'd love to play Mason!' And so, the Taskmaster that I was going to be didn't exist in that iteration of Black Widow."

Fagbenle did return as Mason for a brief appearance in Secret Invasion, but he's not sure if we'll be seeing his character again.

"Listen, this what I said to Eric [Pearson], I said, 'Why are you leaving me out of 'Thunderbolts,' man? I did come back. I did some 'Secret Invasion,' Mason appeared there. And so, yeah, I mean, like a true superhero, when they give me the call [I'm ready to go]."

Thunderbolts* spoilers follow.

Dreykov doesn't last very long in Thunderbolts*, and is unceremoniously killed off by Ghost (Hannah John Kamen) via a bullet to the head. This does leave the door open for Masters to make his debut as Taskmaster down the line, but it doesn't seem likely.

In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?

Returning to their Marvel Cinematic Universe roles are Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The cast also includes newcomers to the MCU—Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer and Wendell Edward Pierce.

Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers.

THUNDERBOLTS* Concept Art Reveals The Wildly Different Spec Ops Version Of David Harbour's Red Guardian
Related:

THUNDERBOLTS* Concept Art Reveals The Wildly Different "Spec Ops" Version Of David Harbour's Red Guardian

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harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 5/8/2025, 6:58 AM
nah, no thanks, I think who they had playing him was great.
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Batmangina
Batmangina - 5/8/2025, 7:03 AM
I'm glad they kept it COMIC ACCURATE
comicfan100
comicfan100 - 5/8/2025, 8:36 AM
@Batmangina - Glad to know you guys are racist first and sexist second.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 5/8/2025, 11:04 AM
@comicfan100 - I'm glad to know you're glad to know. Go get your shinebox, kid.
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 5/8/2025, 7:10 AM
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Taskmaster was just another victim of DEI.
Hopefully in the reboot they'll do Tony Masters justice.
dragon316
dragon316 - 5/8/2025, 9:21 AM
@HashTagSwagg - yfgtm the grand master in doctor strange man in comics woman in movies
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 5/8/2025, 1:07 PM
@dragon316 -

Before that, they raceswapped Hogun for Thor.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 5/8/2025, 2:48 PM
@HashTagSwagg - Diversity, you're joking, right. She's nearly entirely an object used for Natasha's character, with nothing really else going on.

Just inventing problems and allowing politics to live in your head rent free, to me, it seems. What makes you think they'll ever do this character in the MCU like this.
JFerguson
JFerguson - 5/8/2025, 7:12 AM
So Phases 4-6 has just been filled with bad decisions and inconsistencies. Wow.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 5/8/2025, 7:16 AM
Interesting , it’s crazy to think things can change during the audition process for actors but I guess it’s not that surprising since Marvel tends to work on their scripts well into production & beyond.

Anyway , his take on Taskmaster could have been interesting but for the film then I think it being Dreykov’s daughter made sense since her “death” was one of the things that haunted Natasha so this gave her a second chance to save her & wipe some red off her ledger after subjecting Antonia to such a cruel fate…

It’s just unfortunate we didn’t get much beyond that with her given she’s dead now but I digress.

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SpideyPuffsMJ
SpideyPuffsMJ - 5/8/2025, 7:21 AM
Well, at least they did something way more interesting and long lasting with the character. Can’t wait to see Thunderbolts this weekend and see my girl Taskmaster again finally!
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 5/8/2025, 7:25 AM
@SpideyPuffsMJ - her character arc is mind blowing!
Skestra
Skestra - 5/8/2025, 7:35 AM
@SpideyPuffsMJ - The way Olga Kurylenko delivered her "I'm not here for you" speech... they should nominate her for Best Supporting Actress next year.
solskulldeath
solskulldeath - 5/8/2025, 7:52 AM
@SpideyPuffsMJ - I swear taskmaster in thunderbolt is masterpiece!!!
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 5/8/2025, 8:27 AM
@SpideyPuffsMJ - you're in for a treat then sir, she really kills it!
SpideyPuffsMJ
SpideyPuffsMJ - 5/8/2025, 9:53 AM
@Ryguy88 - User Comment Image
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 5/8/2025, 7:23 AM
Also people really need get over these movies not doing the takes they wanted since comics reinvent characters all the time…

616

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Deadpool Max

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Ultimate

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Vigor
Vigor - 5/8/2025, 7:30 AM
@TheVisionary25 - the take they chose was arguably the worst taskmaster ever
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 5/8/2025, 7:40 AM
@TheVisionary25 - yeah, comics are pretty inconsistent as well. It's kinda why the ''comic accurate'' comment holds no weight for me.

It's not that people want comic accuracy, they want it to be like that one specific comic they have in mind. And to them I say, pick up the comic if you want it to like that comic. Otherwise there'll never be new reinventions to like.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 5/8/2025, 7:40 AM
@Vigor - in hindsight , probably unfortunately

She was this blank slate mute brainwashed assassin in BW and then dies pretty immediately after she appears in Thunderbolts

I can only hope we revisit the mantle with Tony Masters in the future
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 5/8/2025, 7:43 AM
@bkmeijer1 - yeah

That one specific comic or take that they saw in an animated series that they didn’t realize was usually a reinvention itself
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 5/8/2025, 9:02 AM
@TheVisionary25 - exactly. Repetition is the dead of creativity.

That's also why I want the comic accurate Batman in the cowlless red suit and a gun
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 5/8/2025, 12:47 PM
@Vigor - 1000% Agreed....They barely tried...and also chose one of thee most laziest troupes...again(mind-control). I really cannot comprehend those choices...especially to characters the lend very well into dialogue.
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 5/8/2025, 12:50 PM
@TheVisionary25 -

"She was this blank slate mute brainwashed assassin in BW and then dies pretty immediately after she appears in Thunderbolts"

I have never understood why a character that brainwashed or mind controlled...has to be bland. I just don't understand it. Its like really lazy. It achieves nothing.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 5/8/2025, 2:51 PM
@bkmeijer1 - But having that one in mind, I think makes more sense than going, "how about we almost not even try to use the character"

This isn't a reinvention. They never did anything with this character, ever. Even in the movie the character's introduced. It's Deadpool in Origins Wolverine character wise.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 5/8/2025, 4:57 PM
@dagenspear - there seemed to be a plan to give her more depth, but that was cut short (literally). Now there's room for a Taskmaster closer to the best known version from the comics
dagenspear
dagenspear - 5/8/2025, 8:57 PM
@bkmeijer1 - It wasn't the movie she was introduced in and they chose to not do it here.

I have little investment in what they could or may do, and I question the point of it and if they can be trusted if this is what they do with a character. I'm speaking on the creativity and writing of what they did with this. They did what they did by doing nothing with her at all as a character.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 5/9/2025, 2:22 AM
@dagenspear - yeah, think it's safe to say they did nothing. That said, I do wonder if they did so because they have wildly different plans. Because it sounds like they always planned to kill her off in this movie, just initially not so early
dagenspear
dagenspear - 5/9/2025, 9:37 AM
@bkmeijer1 - It feels so disingenuous and dismissive of an entire story and character structure to me. I don't get why they would even do that, as is.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 5/9/2025, 10:11 AM
@dagenspear - I get that. Could see it be the case they wanted to pivot, so this was just ripping off the band aid. I'm just soeculating though
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 5/8/2025, 7:26 AM
Her character arc is mind blowing!
epc1122
epc1122 - 5/8/2025, 7:54 AM
For me, I can understand being disappointed when it’s not a take on the character that i like, but people on here tend to think it’s a personal attack on the fans and the original creators which I find ridiculous. Then when there are times when something is comic accurate they say it looks like cosplay or the reverse where they’ll say cosplay can do it better. There really is no way of winning.
EskimoJ
EskimoJ - 5/8/2025, 11:02 AM
@epc1122 - I chuckle at how these characters, once they've been altered, suddenly become everyone's favorite characters from the comics that they're now disillusioned by.

epc1122
epc1122 - 5/8/2025, 1:01 PM
@EskimoJ - people can like an updated version. I don’t think it’s automatic, I just think some versions are better received.
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 5/8/2025, 1:10 PM
@epc1122 -

Epc and Eskimo, you are both being disingenuous.

You're making stuff up to make people who upset you look bad.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 5/8/2025, 2:53 PM
@epc1122 - Looking comic accurate doesn't mean it has to look cheap, so if they think cosplay could look better, why is that a problem. Why does it bother you to refer to it as "no way of winning", because people dare to have an opinion on the look.
epc1122
epc1122 - 5/8/2025, 3:48 PM
@dagenspear - people often express their opinion as facts and in an insulting way. It doesn’t have to be comic accurate for something to look good. Also, comics and media are separate entities which I think the fans confuse and that there has to be a direct translation and then you have other fans who want something new. So the creators of these shows and movies can’t win. Even when a movie gets rated high from critics and audiences, then they’re crazy or it’s “fake”. If it’s rated low, people are just haters.
epc1122
epc1122 - 5/8/2025, 3:50 PM
@MakeAmericaGrea - what am I making up and who looks bad? For the record, I’m not upset by any means, just making observations.
dagenspear
dagenspear - 5/8/2025, 8:54 PM
@epc1122 - But that doesn't account for why it's no way of winning for people to express their issues in thinking cosplay would look better and/or thinking the current product looks cheap. It's people having opinions
epc1122
epc1122 - 5/8/2025, 9:33 PM
@dagenspear - having an opinion isn’t the problem, it’s that the fan bases are never happy and take personal offense if a character is a different version than what they’re used to. People will say “Superman’s cape is too long, that’s not Superman. Snyder hates Superman, the original creators and the fans”. And I find that pretty sad. Some opinions are crazy and irrational. They’re entitled to their opinions but that’s not the point of what I’m saying.
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