1 MCU Actor Reveals They Were Almost Cast As Black Widow's Taskmaster

WARNING: This article includes SPOILERS from Thunderbolts*.One of the Black Widow actors is opening up about how they were initially almost cast to play Taskmaster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the MCU timeline is known for reimagining various characters when they get adapted from the page to the screen, one of the villains who was changed from the source material was Taskmaster. While the Black Widow movie went with a female iteration, who ended up being the daughter of General Dreykov, it turns out Marvel Studios had some different plans with Taskmaster when the film was first being developed.

In a new interview with The Direct, O-T Fagbenle – who ultimately played Rick Mason in Black Widow – explained that he had initially auditioned for the role of Taskmaster, and that there were previous plans for a different version of the Marvel antagonist. Fagbenle also shared whether he would still love to bring that version of Taskmaster to life in the MCU down the line, as he stated the following:

Basically, I first auditioned for Taskmaster, and it was this, it was a really incredible speech, actually. It was an audition I was very proud of. I’ve still got it in the back someplace. And, he was this — I made him with an African accent, and he was this kind of maniacal-like character.

And somewhere along the journey of writing and things above my pay grade — So, I basically got [told] that [the role] was down to like, ‘Is it me or is it someone else.’ That kind of thing for that version of Taskmaster. And in the various iterations of the movie, that version of Taskmaster went away, and then they just came to me and was like, ‘Hey, there is this character called Mason, do you want to play Mason?’… So I was like, ‘Hell yeah,’ I’d love to play Mason!’ And so, the Taskmaster that I was going to be didn’t exist in that iteration of ‘Black Widow.’

Oh man, I tell you… The character I created for that was something I’ve not done before, or something people have not seen me do before. I was being really hyped. But anyway, there’ll be another opportunity for me to pull that maniac out of the bag and put it on screen.

Listen, this what I said to Eric [Pearson], I said, ‘Why are you leaving me out of ‘Thunderbolts,’ man? I did come back. I did some ‘Secret Invasion,’ Mason appeared there. And so, yeah, I mean, like a true superhero, when they give me the call [I’m ready to go].

What O-T Fagbenle’s Taskmaster Story Means For The MCU

Fagbenle’s Taskmaster comments are interesting, as if he had been Anthony Masters, it would have changed one of the big narrative points of Black Widow. If the goal was to always have Taskmaster be a major part of the Black Widow story, no matter what, casting Fagbenle in the role seemingly wouldn’t have had the same emotional ties to the movie’s central antagonist, which was General Dreykov. The movie revealing that Taskmaster is Dreykov’s daughter, Antonia – and that he has brainwashed her – becomes one of Black Widow’s most disturbing moments, and would’ve needed alterations to work otherwise.

These comments also suggest that, after what happened to Taskmaster in Thunderbolts*, if the time ever comes when they would want to reinvent the villain in the MCU, the actor is clearly still down to play Taskmaster in one way or another. But for the time being, Marvel Studios appears to be done with Taskmaster outside of something like What If…?, especially since Thunderbolts* doesn’t hint at someone trying to pick up the mantle. However, knowing now how close Black Widow was to having a very different Taskmaster definitely changes the perspective of what could have happened in the story.

Our Take On O-T Fagbenle’s Taskmaster Story

The MCU version of Taskmaster, from Black Widow.

Based on Fagbenle’s comments about trying out for Taskmaster, it would have been fascinating to see what he would have done with the Marvel antagonist in Black Widow. If the MCU ever decides to make Taskmaster a legacy тιтle, there could still be ways where Rick somehow takes over for Antonia, perhaps making it a twist where he actually was Anthony Masters the whole time. But for now, the story of Taskmaster is complete in the MCU following her introduction in Black Widow and her ending in Thunderbolts*.