Black Widow finally introduced Taskmaster into the MCU, but it also completely reinvented the comic book villain for the screen. The copycat hitman turned out to be – major spoilers incoming – Antonia Dreykov, the presumed deceased daughter of Red Room boss Dreykov (Ray Winstone), who had been mind-controlled by her father after her apparent death. At the end of the movie, Dreykov’s defeat left Antonia free, but where she goes next was left open-ended.
Taskmaster could be a one-and-done antagonist, then, but actress Olga Kurylenko would definitely be up for returning to the role if the option was given to her. While speaking to GamesRadar, Kurylenko – who’s otherwise most known for playing Bond Girl Camille in Quantum of Solace – revealed that she would “of course” reprise the character, but it all depends on what Marvel is planning.
“I don’t know, that’s a question to Marvel. They have to decide,” Kurylenko replied. “Of course I would, of course,” she added about returning.
In the comics, Taskmaster is really Tony Masters, known for his skeletal facemask, so there’s little that resembles the original in the Black Widow version. Instead, the concept of Dreykov’s daughter comes from Loki namedropping her to Natasha Romanoff in The Avengers. These changes caused a lot of controversy amongst the Marvel fandom, with many not being on board with the characterization.
But bringing her back for another outing might go some way to redeeming the MCU’s Taskmaster, as Kurylenko could be allowed to give her a proper personality and explore who Antonia is when not under her father’s control. It’s feasible she would return for Black Widow 2, which has yet to be officially announced but has been rumored, alongside Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. Scarlett Johansson isn’t necessarily done with the franchise, either. Alternatively, it might be fun to have Taskmaster face off against other heroes – Deadpool even?
In the meantime, catch the character’s debut in Black Widow, in theaters and on Disney Plus now.