Beef With Taskmaster/Henchmen
Besides the new poster from this year’s D23, it was also revealed that Natasha would be going up against Taskmasker, also known by his real name: Tony Masters. A former SHIELD agent himself, Taskmaster could provide the platform for some excellent action sequences between the two. Also, because of his past, he will be one of the few characters introduced that can give Natasha a run for her money, especially when it comes to fighting. Because Taskmaster was born with the ability to duplicate any movement and fighting style he saw, he might end up getting the upper hand on her. As far as his reason making an appearance in the movie, the most likely reason could be he’s stolen government property, and used that illegal money to build his own training institution for up and coming criminals. In turn, that would set in motion the plot of feuding with Taskmaster.
With the introduction of Taskmaster as the main baddie, some equally bad henchman could be introduced as well. Introduced in Black Widow #5: For the Birds, a Russian monk by the name of Molot Boga is introduced. Dismissed for violent behavior, he used his devotion to God to reek havoc, going by the alias, Hammer of God. His sponsor, for lack of a better term, Damon Dran, who appeared in Black Widow #6: Paranoia, would also make a nice inclusion to the movie to give Natasha a wealthy business man to put in his place after she foils his plan to possibly kidnap her. A bad guy that could play a major part in Natasha’s mental game that was introduced in Black Widow: SHIELD’s Most Wanted, The Weeping Lion, aka Ilija Knezevic. He’s a Telepath that was able to broadcast information to foil her plans. He could be a challenge for the movie considering that he could read minds, and then lie about it which would cause Natasha more harm than good.
Childhood Rivalry
One of Natasha’s most notable foes is her childhood rival and former best friend, Anya, aka Recluse. Jealous from the start, Anya was envious that her mother, the Headmistress of the Red Room favored Natasha over her. Both ended up taking part in the Black Widow Program, but in the end Natasha was the one who gained the most notoriety. In Black Widow #12, Black Widow #7: No More Secrets and issues #3/#4 of Black Widow: SHIELD’s Most Wanted, the rivalry crosses several books, but in the end Natasha ends up foiling Anya’s plan of exploiting Widows in training. And with Michelle Lee having an unnamed character in the movie, it would be nice to see her bring this interesting and complex villain to the big screen. Recluse sharing the big screen with Black Widow, and Yelena Belova would be a comic book fans’ dream.
After Natasha’s bitter and sad end in Avengers: Endgame, Black Widow will be a nice homage to the first female Avenger, and a nice gift to fans who miss their favorite web slinger. Many details are still unknown about the movie, and it’s likely that more details won’t be released until later this year, or the beginning of next year as to not spoil it too much. However when they are released, an excitement frenzy will ensue.
Black Widow is set to premiere in May 2020