BLACK WIDOW Writer Explains Why He Ultimately Decided To Make [SPOILER] Taskmaster

BLACK WIDOW Writer Explains Why He Ultimately Decided To Make [SPOILER] Taskmaster

The big Taskmaster reveal towards the end of Black Widow was met with something of a mixed reception from fans, and writer Eric Pearson has now explained his decision to change-up the character...

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By MarkCassidy - Jul 14, 2021 07:07 PM EST
Filed Under: Black Widow

Black Widow made a few significant changes to Taskmaster, and the ultimate reveal of the villain's true identity was met with a mixed response for the Marvel Comics faithful.

Towards the end of the movie, Dreykov (Ray Winstone) unmasks his mysterious enforcer, and much to the titular Avenger's (Scarlett Johansson) horror, it turns out to be his own daughter, Antonia, who Nat had written off as "collateral damage" many years before when she blew up the Red Room leader's apartment.

In many ways, this made more sense than introducing a random mercenary named Tony Masters with no ties to Widow's past, but according to writer Eric Pearson, that was the original plan.

"Taskmaster was going to be involved, and there was a version before I came that was Tony Masters," he revealed while speaking to the Phase Zero podcast. "And it felt, I kept thinking, can this guy somehow not just be a goon? Cause Dreykov and the Red Room is the thing that’s tied into Natasha personally and her past ... Trust me, I looked very, very far for like, how do we get this Tony Masters guy to believably be an agent of the Red Room?"

As for some of the backlash he's experienced from people who were unhappy about the change:

"I made the mistake of looking in direct message requests, and someone said, 'I don’t mean to be out of line, but Taskmaster was the biggest betrayal of my life.' And I was just like, you’ve had a pretty good life then. If that’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, then you should be psyched."

What did you guys make of the big Taskmaster twist? Do you see Antonia's story continuing in the MCU now that she's been "deprogrammed"?

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MrDandy
MrDandy - 7/14/2021, 7:18 PM
“Can this guy not just be a goon?”

Taskmaster was still a mindless goon….just a female one
Oberlin4Prez
Oberlin4Prez - 7/14/2021, 7:18 PM
Feels like a bit of a tone deaf response IMO. I didn’t mind the change, just would have been nice if they did something interesting with it. Not down the line, but in this movie they just made. I’m not the foremost TaskMaster fan, but it does seem like a pretty glib reaction to someone who very well may be. Don’t get me wrong, fans get all in a tizzy over some of the most minor changes, but this isn’t a minor change.
BackwardGalaxy
BackwardGalaxy - 7/14/2021, 8:10 PM
@Oberlin4Prez - if the worst thing that ever happens to you is they changed a fictional character's backstory, I absolutely want your life
Oberlin4Prez
Oberlin4Prez - 7/14/2021, 8:23 PM
@BackwardGalaxy - where did I say that?
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/14/2021, 7:21 PM
The one saving grace is that it’s the Taskmaster PROGRAM and there could be more out there.

Mainly, a guy named Tony Masters…
Origame
Origame - 7/14/2021, 7:29 PM
@BlackBeltJones - yeah, but if they're going off the program, then he won't actually have his powers. Which means they'd need to find some other explanation for his amnesia and just make him less interesting.

Also I'm seeing this to be more controversial with people arguing "mcu taskmaster is a girl. Why are you making him a guy?"
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/14/2021, 7:36 PM
@Origame - at this point, I’m with finding some other explanation.

Maybe the program matures past technological to bio enhancements
Origame
Origame - 7/14/2021, 8:06 PM
@BlackBeltJones - yeah that can work. I'm hoping they start realizing these changes like here and with the mandarin aren't appreciated and focus on keeping the characters more or less like the comics.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 7/15/2021, 1:09 AM
@BlackBeltJones - the Taskmaster being part of a new Red Room program was my expectation from the beginning. Imaging instead of having had a new line of Black Widow, there were a lot of Taskmasters.

For now, just have Masters steal the tech and it works for me too.
Repian
Repian - 7/15/2021, 1:15 AM
@BlackBeltJones -
I think of an academy that instructs new Taskmasters. Students study techniques, movements, and strategies. Then, when they finish the instruction, they will be sent to different areas of the world. Students become mercenaries who can work for criminal gangs, warlords, and tyrants. So a percentage of the salary is for the academy and another percentage of the salary is for the mercenary.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/15/2021, 4:58 AM
@Repian - thanks for adding on a cool and interesting origin for Task lol. This sounds dope.

Taskmaster coming from a school makes sense as he had one for criminals.
DanFlashesShirt
DanFlashesShirt - 7/15/2021, 11:26 AM
@BlackBeltJones - maybe him and his abilities WERE the inspiration for the program… 👀

Easy retcon if a future writer REALLY wants to use Masters.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/15/2021, 11:38 AM
@whalers - and they’ve retconned before. It can be done.
DanFlashesShirt
DanFlashesShirt - 7/15/2021, 12:06 PM
@BlackBeltJones - I hope they do. I listened to the writer explain it and can see that its what made sense for the story they were telling, but he’s such a cool character in comics and other media. I would love to see a more accurate version at some point.
Origame
Origame - 7/14/2021, 7:24 PM
That's some bs if I've ever heard it. Comic taskmaster isn't just a goon. He's the guy who trains the goons. If you just combine the fighting of Antonia with the planning of dreykov, you have a character who at least serves the role Tony masters did. But as for the needing to connect the character to the red room (without for some reason thinking he's the guy who trains the agents in the red room), then how's about either adapting another character who actually IS tied to the red room or just make up an entirely new character? There are so many other options than ruining a beloved character.
MCUKnight11
MCUKnight11 - 7/14/2021, 7:28 PM
I still have hope we'll see Tony masters at some point.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/14/2021, 7:30 PM
“…how do we get this Tony Masters guy to believably be an agent of the Red Room?"

He doesn’t have to be a Red Room agent.

Dreykov puts a bounty on Nat, with her being this infamous spy who has made a number of enemies. Everyone wants a piece with her now not being under the Avemgers protection. Everyone comes out of the woodwork. Dreykov creates the bounty to make sure he’s in control of the outcome. Wants her alive and brought to him.

Taskmaster could’ve easily been merc with a chemically induced mastery of mimicry who decides he wants in on the bounty.
MisterDoctor217
MisterDoctor217 - 7/14/2021, 7:31 PM
@BlackBeltJones -
Exactly!!! Dude you should have given this idea to them!
Origame
Origame - 7/14/2021, 8:19 PM
@BlackBeltJones - you could also have him run the red room. That's his thing in the comics, being the answer to where all the bad guys get their goons from. They're all trained by taskmaster.
ReverseFlasher
ReverseFlasher - 7/14/2021, 8:42 PM
@Origame - a much better idea than the boba fett ripoff originally suggested
LongMayHeReign
LongMayHeReign - 7/14/2021, 9:56 PM
@BlackBeltJones - But if your Dreykov and you've managed to run the Red Room undetected for this long why risk your operation by going after Nat? I mean sure the Avengers as a cohesive public unit are disbanded but that doesn't mean Nat might not have backup, especially since Cap and Bucky were still in the wind.

To me that just seems like a foolish choice by a villain just to gain revenge. Even in the movie Dreykov didn't care about Nat until she fell into his lap, he only cared about getting the viles back so that the Red Room was secured.

Would have been cool if Taskmaster was working for Ross the whole time as the first Thunderbolt but undercover as a Red Room instructor and muscle imo.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/15/2021, 4:57 AM
@LongMayHeReign - Thanks for [frick]ing up my unpolished idea haha. I was just spitballin and it was a rough idea I had when they first announced Task as a villain for this.

I always considered the bounty to be via proxy and not directly from Dreykov. Dreykov being who he was and seeing woman as property, Nat could’ve been presented as the “one that got away.” He’s always been hung up on his “Prize Widow” leaving him.

Your Ross idea works perfectly as well.
LongMayHeReign
LongMayHeReign - 7/15/2021, 9:11 AM
@BlackBeltJones - Yea didn't mean to slam the idea just had that thought after reading it. Also thank you on my premise, I just hope whatever they do with Tasky from here out they at least give her some personality, or just use the mimic program with someone else.
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