Taskmaster's Costume in Black Widow Draws Heated Debate Among Marvel Fans

Marvel fans are excited today after seeing the new trailer for Black Widow, but the villain Taskmaster remains a contentious point. In the original Marvel comics, Taskmaster has one of the more improbable costume designs, including a mask/helmet that makes his head look like a skull. That's a killer design on paper but hard to translate into live-action. Black Widow's costume designers did their best, but fans have split over how they feel regarding Taskmaster's Marvel Cinematic Universe look. As you can see below, some fans dig it, while others think it looks too much like a biker jumpsuit. There are also comparisons to Power Rangers, both positive and negative in tone.

In the comics, Taskmaster is Tony Masters, a former shield agent with "photographic reflexes," letting him perfectly mimic any fighting style or skill he sees performed even once. That makes him a challenging foe for the Avengers since he can use Captain America's shield-throwing, Black Panther's claw fighting, and Hawkeye's archery all equally well. While Black Widow may have shed some of Taskmaster's comic book visuals, the new trailer shows that his ability to imitate the Avengers made the transition without issue. The cinematic Taskmaster's identity remains a secret.

According to the synopsis, "In Marvel Studios' action-packed spy thriller Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger."

Cate Shortland directs Black Widow from a screenplay written by Eric Pearson based on Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson's story. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, reprising Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, with Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, Ray Winstone and Rachel Weisz.

What do you think of the new trailer? Let us know in the comments section. Black Widow releases in theaters and on Disney+ premier access on July 9th.