Taskmaster: 5 Things You Need To Know About The Marvel Villain

MCU fans got a treat in 2021 when they were introduced to one of Marvel's most underappreciated assassins, the deadly mimic known as Taskmaster. In the comics, this mercenary villain has gone toe-to-toe with some of the toughest hand-to-hand combatants in the Marvel Universe, from Captain America to Hawkeye to Daredevil and Spider-Man. Often seen wielding a bow, a shield, a sword, and just about any weapon one can imagine, Taskmaster's ability to copy the physical fight moves of anyone he watches makes him one of the most dangerous baddies around.

Of course, on film, the character is a bit different from the comics version. In the MCU, Taskmaster is Antonia Dreykov, daughter of the villainous General Dreykov, who commanded the notorious Red Room that forged the Black Widow operatives. Played by Olga Kurylenko, this Taskmaster is a woman, while in the comics, the character was originally Anthony Masters, whose backstory was quite different than the one revealed in 2021's "Black Widow." Because of this, even after the character's return in 2025's "Thunderbolts*," there's still a lot about the original incarnation of the villain that movie fans are probably unaware of. So with that in mind, we compiled the five things you should know about Taskmaster, both in the comics and behind the scenes on film.

Taskmaster was introduced to Marvel Comics readers in 1980, the creation of David Michelinie and George Pérez. As mentioned above, his real name is Anthony Masters, and in his debut, he went toe-to-toe with an Avengers team during the days when its roster included Iron Man, Captain America, and the iconic duo of Wonder Man and Beast, the latter of X-Men fame. Over the years, Taskmaster proved a worthy foil for the superteam, not to mention countless other heroes in the Marvel Universe. In the 2000s and 2010s, more of his origin was revealed in several standalone miniseries, which gave some surprising new details about Masters' past, including the fact that he was once an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Masters was born with "photographic reflexes," the uncanny ability to duplicate a person's movements based on observation alone, making him an obvious asset for the clandestine intelligence agency. It was during his time with S.H.I.E.L.D. that he gained the powers that would allow him to become more than just a spy; while on a mission, Agent Masters injected himself with an experimental, Nazi-developed version of the same Super Soldier Serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America. After using the serum, Masters became stronger, more agile, and possessed even greater reflexes — not to mention increased stamina and healing ability. This allowed him to begin effectively mimicking the physical abilities of superheroes like Daredevil, Black Panther, and even Spider-Man, providing him the means to become a rival to the likes of the Avengers.

Long before he was a member of the Thunderbolts in the MCU, Taskmaster belonged to several different supervillain groups in the comics, including the Frightful Four and Baron Zemo's reconstructed version of Hydra. In fact, Taskmaster was so well-respected among the supervillain community for his abilities that at one point he ran a school for baddies called the Taskmaster Academy. For a price, Taskmaster taught aspiring villains various combat techniques and was often employed by terrorist organizations like AIM, who used his curriculum to train their goons for dangerous missions.

Years later, when Tony Stark helped create the 50-State Initiative – a government-sponsored super-team with affiliates all over the United States — Taskmaster was called upon for his services as a teacher once more. This time, though, he was brought in to train heroes, not villains, as part of the government's plan to establish a superhero team for each state in the union. One of his most important projects was training the so-called Scarlet Spiders, a group of recruits who were created by cloning the hero called MVP. Studying the real Spider-Man, Taskmaster was able to turn them into a team of Spider-Men, each with their own armored suit.

When we think of Deadpool's best bromances, we often think of his on-again/off-again frenemyship with Wolverine, not to mention his long history fighting alongside (and annoying the heck out of) Cable. But for quite a long while, you could have counted Taskmaster as one of Deadpool's besties, too. And it's all thanks to Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness, the creative team who turned Deadpool from a cliched Deathstroke ripoff into the Merc with a Mouth, the character we all know and love today.

When they first met in 1997's "Deadpool" #2, the pair clashed, with Wade Wilson coming out on top. But not long after, in need of some advice while facing off against the villain known as the Black Swan, Deadpool actually went to Taskmaster for help. He did so at the behest of Sandi, 'Pool's assistant at the time, who also happened to be Anthony Masters' ex-girlfriend.

Despite giving Deadpool a hand, they initially remained rivals but quickly became the sort of enemies who have such a great mutual respect for each other that they're almost friends. Never afraid to jab at each other — verbally or physically with a blade — Taskmaster and Deadpool often turn to each other for help and have continued to develop their unique friendship ever since. Taskmaster was even there for Wilson when he had a crisis of faith and considered ending his own life — although he did so with the "I'll literally try to kill you but actually want to teach you a lesson" kind of therapy that only works on unhinged Marvel villains.

In 2021, the Marvel Cinematic Universe riled some finicky fans by gender-swapping Taskmaster for the sake of a surprise reveal, introducing the character Antonia Dreykov rather than a comics-accurate Anthony Masters. But it might surprise some to learn that this wasn't the first time that Taskmaster was a woman. That honor goes to the character's appearance in 2005's "Deadpool MAX" miniseries, a story that exists outside of the continuities of both Marvel 616 and the Ultimate Universe that is often cited as having a strong influence on the MCU.

A loose collection of stories that comprised a line of mature readers comics in the 2000s, the Marvel MAX "universe" encompasses more than one continuity itself but is more defined by its adults-only nature, featuring a healthy dose of harsh language, excessive violence, and even some gratuitous sex and nudity. And in "Deadpool MAX" from David Lapham and Kyle Baker, Taskmaster is a woman. Officially, this version of the character exists on Earth-TRN133 and is one twisted lady. She kidnaps Wade Wilson as a child to raise as her son, training him to become a ruthless and unstoppable assassin. Then she tries to force Wilson to have sex with her, at which point the future Deadpool understandably runs for the hills.

When it was announced that Olga Kurylenko was cast to play Taskmaster in the MCU in 2021's "Black Widow," fans probably felt mixed emotions. On the one hand, Kurylenko — who stands an imposing 5'10" — seemed perfect for a superhero role and had, in fact, almost been cast as Wonder Woman in the DCEU. But seeing the character played by a woman made many bristle, and in 2025, it was revealed that Kurylenko nearly lost out on playing Taskmaster as well.

According to actor O-T Fagbenle, who had a minor role in "Black Widow" as Natasha Romanoff's ally, Mason, he was in talks to play Taskmaster and had all but secured the role before Marvel had a change of heart. Even more surprising, though, is that this wasn't the first time that Taskmaster was almost played by a male actor; the character was almost part of the first "Deadpool" movie.

Back in the 2000s, Marvel had sold the rights to both Taskmaster and Deadpool to New Line Cinema, and when Fox bought out the contract to add Wade Wilson to "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," Taskmaster came with him. Later, the character was seriously considered for a role in Deadpool's solo film. Unfortunately, by the time that movie came together after years of delays, the rights to Taskmaster had reverted back to Marvel, leading to her eventual debut in "Black Widow."