Taskmaster Confirmed as Black Widow Villain

At long last, not only do we have an official announcement from Marvel Studios on the arrival of Black Widow, but we now know who Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff will be facing off against come next year. As many suspected after set photos surfaced earlier this spring, Taskmaster will be serving as the film's antagonist.

The fan-favorite mercenary finally makes his live-action debut nearly 40 years after first appearing in The Avengers #195 (1980). For the uninitiated, Taskmaster, a.k.a. Tony Masters, is the cream of the crop when it comes to assassins from the Marvel mythos. The master of disguise has a photographic memory, allowing him to memorize the fight patterns of his opponents. Suffice to say, he kicks major ass nine out of 10 times.

Fellow Black Widow star David Harbour previously told ComicBook.com the production is one of the most jaw-dropping sets he's been on, complimenting director Cate Shortland and the producers at Marvel Studios.

"This woman, Cate Shortland, who is directing this movie is one of the best directors I've ever worked with," Harbour tells ComicBook.com "She's so, so smart, and makes such beautiful indie movies. The fact that you'd put someone like that at the helm of one of these huge action movies — and she pays such attention to the story and such attention to character — speaks volumes."

"The fact that these guys are so good at what they do, and so passionate about what they do, it feels tremendous," he continues. "I'm very, very happy with the situation, working on it now. It's on a scale and on a passionate level unlike anything I've ever done."

Black Widow is being helmed by Cate Shortland from a script by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson.

Are you surprised to see Taskmaster in the MCU? How do you think he and Black Widow will first meet? Share your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things MCU!

Black Widow is set to release May 1, 2020. Spider-Man: Far From Home is now in theaters while Avengers: Endgame gets a digital release July 30th ahead of home media on August 13th.