New Black Widow Merchandise Could Tie Taskmaster to Iron Man

The marketing cycle for Black Widow is well underway, thanks to the release of a second trailer and the subsequent unveiling of merchandise from Marvel Studios' most popular licensees. Some of the merchandise has revealed some potential plot points, like Taskmaster apparently wielding claws similar to those of Black Panther. Another item that's been unveiled could show the link between Black Widow and the late Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.).

A new kids' playset from Hasbro includes Taskmaster's spooky techno-skeleton look, complete with his hood and shield. Interestingly enough though is the visor part of the mask, which appears to include a built-in HUD. If you look closely enough, it looks to mimic that of Iron Man's, especially the times we've seen it on screen. You can see the toy itself below.

If Taskmaster does pull some inspiration from Iron Man, it makes perfect sense. In the comics, the character has a photographic memory that allows him to perfectly mimic those he comes up against. In this case, it could explain the shots of the character we've seen so far. Between the two trailers, we've seen him throw his shield (Captain America), and use a bow and arrow (Hawkeye). The Funko POP! toys previously mentioned could pay homage to Black Panther and if he does use a Stark-based HUD, there's the Iron Man homage there.

Then there's the possibility the character has an even bigger connection to Iron Man than the tech would seem to suggest. As we've seen with two villains so far — Vulture and Mysterio — Tony Stark has had a negative impact on them, directly causing their descent into villainy.

There's long been speculation Iron Man would end up appearing in the movie, something Downey himself has recently tried to debunk. "Right. Great. I mean, it would be nice if they notified me. Forewarned is forearmed," Downey said on the press tour for Dolittle. "They can do anything now. This could be a deep fake interview for all we know."

Black Widow races to theaters May 1st.

What surprises do you think are in store for Black Widow? Let us know what you'd like to see in the flick in the comments section!