The Deleted Black Widow Scene That Would Have Changed Everything For Taskmaster
Over the course of the decade plus run of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also known as the MCU, several characters have make a major impact despite not being the primary focus of a movie. Previously, at the top of this list was Black Widow, a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff. Played by Scarlett Johansson, the super spy made her debut in the 2010 film "Iron Man 2," and has gone on to appear in all four "Avengers" films, as well as "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Captain America: Civil War."
Fans of the character were thus glad to hear of the announcement of a solo film in which Romanoff would finally be the primary focus. Titled "Black Widow," the 2021 movie also introduces Taskmaster, a famous Marvel comics antagonist, into the MCU. Played by Olga Kurylenko, the movie's actual ending leaves the fate of Taskmaster unknown, hinting that the other Black Widows take her to safety and recovery. A deleted scene, however, reveals that Taskmaster's story could've gone in a wholly different direction, and this is how.
Taskmaster's fate was clearer in a deleted scene
A deleted scene from "Black Widow" (via Reddit) shows General Ross, played by William Hurt, approaching Natasha Romanoff and asking "What the hell happened here?" After Romanoff replies with "The Red Room," the two turn to see what's remaining of the airborne structure crashing to the ground. The scene then cuts to a now-handcuffed Romanoff being led to a van by Ross, while an unmasked Taskmaster is being loaded into another vehicle on a stretcher. Romanoff tells Ross to "take care of her. She's been through more than all of us." In the van, as Ross opines that it's impossible to know who Romanoff really is, marveling that she took down The Red Room herself and that he can't determine whose side she is on, Romanoff pulls out a pin and picks the lock on the handcuffs, escaping arrest.
This scene is especially important because, unlike the film's actual cut, Taskmaster here ends up with U.S. authorities, rather than with other Red Room escapees. In the comics, Taskmaster is a key antagonist of several superheroes, with the ability to mimic fighting styles proving to be a challenge for them. Having the MCU Taskmaster come to the U.S. could similarly set her down the same path, especially if she ends up on the radar of Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who recruits both Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell), a.k.a. U.S. Agent. Despite this scene getting cut, the future of Taskmaster is still very much in the air.