Taskmaster
Marvel Studios

While fans were excited by the release of the first ‘Black Widow’ trailer, there is one bit that has been almost universally panned, and that was the reveal of the villain The Taskmaster.  That’s him above, but as you can see, the movie has stripped him over his signature comic book appearance.  It’s nothing new for the live-action interpretation to be a little more grounded in reality as the comic characters mostly run around in rainbow-colored skin-tight spandex and that wouldn’t translate well onto the big screen.  But many feel this takes things too far into the other direction.

Here are just a few reactions:

This is how The Taskmaster appears in the comics:

Marvel Comics

The movie mask has a trace of the skull motif, but that’s about it.  Obviously, the white cloak doesn’t work for a character that would hope to blend into the shadows, and the white buccaneer boots would also look silly.  (Captain America also wore similar boots in the comics, but wears less flashy boots in the movies.)  And the white briefs over tights are just a fashion don’t in live-action.

 

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DC Comics

But even though his traditional outfit is garish, The Taskmaster has a strong following in the comics precisely because of his distinct appearance, designed by comic god George Perez.  Perez would go on to create Deathstroke the Terminator for DC and there are several similarities between the two.  (See right.)

The Marvel movies have similarly stripped away some of the flair in the costumes for Crossbones/Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo) and Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl), as well as the much smaller role of Batroc the Leaper (Georges St-Pierre).  Reportedly, Zemo will start to dress a little closer to the comic book version in the upcoming Disney+ series ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’.

There is a chance that Taskmaster could wear more than one outfit in the movie.  After all, this is just the first glimpse. Perhaps as the release gets closer, we’ll see more.

Although it isn’t confirmed, it is believed that underneath that vaguely skull-like mask is the face of O-T Fagbenle.  ‘Black Widow’ directed by Cate Shortland, stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, David Harbour as Red Guardian/Alexei Shostakov, William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, and Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff.  There are rumors that fans will get one last look at Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark as well.

‘Black Widow’ swings into theaters on May 1, 2020.

 

Source: Cinema Blend