The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced plenty of fan-favorite characters from Marvel Comics over the course of Phase Four, truly expanding its already massive franchise into brand new territory. One such character is Taskmaster, introduced in Black Widow, who is revealed to be the daughter of General Dreykov.
Though many fans weren't pleased with the way that Olga Kurylenko's Antonia Dreykov was depicted in the film, Marvel Studios kept the character's fate open-ended, with plenty of room for her to return in a future film or series in which she could better adapt the characteristics of her comics counterpart.
Moon Knight
The next project on Marvel Studio's docket is Moon Knight, a Disney+ series following the superhero of the same name, who will be portrayed by Star Wars actor Oscar Isaac. The series will depict Isaac's Marc Spector as he is imbued with power by the Egyptian god of the moon, becoming the Fist of Khonshu.
There are plenty of interactions fans want to see Moon Knight have in his series, but Taskmaster is one possibility that fans seem to have overlooked. Both Taskmaster and Moon Knight are well-trained in martial arts, putting them at similar power levels. The former villain could prove to be a great foe for the fledgling hero to prove his skill against in battle.
Daredevil Season 4
With Charlie Cox returning to the MCU as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Vincent D'Onofrio reprising his role as the villainous Kingpin in Hawkeye, it seems inevitable that their origin series, Daredevil, will return as well, perhaps for a revived season 4 after years of dormancy.
If Daredevil indeed returns for season 4, it is likely that the series will more obviously be a part of the MCU than in its previous three seasons, perhaps even with several cameos from other corners of the franchise. Taskmaster could make for a great foe or ally beside Cox's Daredevil, and would feel right at home with the grittier, more violent nature of the Daredevil series.
Deadpool 3
With multiverses colliding in the next few installments of the MCU, one character that has been confirmed to be making his way to the franchise is Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool. The Merc With A Mouth will be receiving a third solo film in the near future, which will be set within the MCU.
Deadpool 3 will no doubt take advantage of the fact that it is now within a much larger franchise, pulling from different corners of the universe to play off of Wade Wilson's signature wit. Taskmaster could very well be a new foe to the regenerative mutant. The two have gone head-to-head often in the comic books, with Wade's unpredictability often giving him the upper hand over the villain's ability to perfectly mirror any fighting style.
Echo
The MCU will soon be granting a spinoff series to a relatively new comic book hero, Echo, who made her live-action debut in Hawkeye late last year. The character, played by Alaqua Cox, will likely be seeking to finish the job of getting revenge against the Kingpin, who had her father murdered by the Ronin.
If Taskmaster is to make a return, the Echo series is an excellent candidate for the character to set her sights on. Not only will the series likely focus on the criminal underworld, an element that the Taskmaster is often involved with, but the title character actually possesses the same abilities as Taskmaster herself, possessing photographic reflexes. As such, these two characters must fight it out at some point in the MCU to prove which of them is the better copycat.
Armor Wars
Little is yet known about the Armor Wars Disney+ series, other than that it will follow James Rhodes, the War Machine, as he investigates Iron Man technology falling into the wrong hands. As of yet, no other Marvel characters have been confirmed, but fans can count on a few familiar faces showing up.
Black Widow left Taskmaster's fate very open at the end of the film, with no indication as to what she might have been doing in the years between the Superhero Civil War and the Blip. Fans shouldn't count her out of the criminal lifestyle, as she could very well turn up as one of the enforcers for whoever turns out to be selling Iron Man technology to criminals.
Secret Invasion
Though fans have little knowledge of what Secret Invasion's overall story will be, it is already one of the most anticipated titles of 2022, and of Marvel's Phase 4 in general. The series will follow Nick Fury and Maria Hill as they investigate a secret Skrull invasion of Earth, with certain MCU characters revealed to be alien imposters.
Secret Invasion seems like the perfect place to introduce as many MCU characters as possible, from all corners of the franchise. If this is the case, it would be the ideal series for Taskmaster to make her long-awaited return, perhaps even to be revealed as a Skrull spy all along.
What If...? Season 2
There are plenty of scenarios that fans want to see in What If Season 2, many of which hail from the films and series in Phase 4, which were not addressed at all in the show's first season. Already, there are plenty of pivotal moments in the MCU's Phase 4 that could easily be explored in What If...?'s next season.
Although it is almost impossible to know what storylines the animated anthology will adopt for its second season, fans can hope to see more of Antonia Dreykov therein, especially if the events of Black Widow serve as the setting for one of the episodes. It may be interesting for the showrunners to explore what could be a more comic-accurate version of the character.
Captain America 4
Fans were surprised and delighted to learn shortly after the ending of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that Sam Wilson would return in a fourth Captain America film sometime in the MCU's future. Though nothing is yet known about this film, it will likely continue to explore Sam Wilson's new role as Steve Rogers's replacement.
When Wilson returns as Cap, he'll need plenty of new foes to face, both major villains and ground-level baddies. Taskmaster could fall into either one of these categories, depending on how much screen time the creators intend her to have. Either way, she would make a worthy early foe of Wilson's Captain America.
Black Widow 2
In the summer of 2021, after years of production and over a year of delays related to COVID-19, the Black Widow solo film was finally released, exploring Natasha Romanoff's background, as well as introducing several intriguing new characters. While no sequel has yet been announced, and though the title character is dead, Marvel may still make a second Black Widow movie, perhaps this time following Yelena Belova as she takes on her sister's mantle.
If a Black Widow 2 ever does happen, it would be the perfect place to explore the fate of Antonia Dreykov, who was introduced in the original Black Widow film. When the character was last seen, she was in the care of the other released Black Widows, meaning that her appearance in this sequel would be more of an inevitability than a question at all.
Thunderbolts
One project that has been heavily rumored to be on Marvel's slate is one involving the Thunderbolts team from the comics, a group of supervillains that are put together by shadowy officials with shady motives. With recent introductions to the MCU like John Walker, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and Yelena Belova, it seems highly likely that Marvel will soon unite them in a Thunderbolts team.
Taskmaster is a perfect candidate for a Thunderbolts initiative in the MCU. When she was last seen, she was a highly skilled operative without direction, newly free to control her own actions. While she isn't a hero, she certainly isn't a villain anymore either, making for a moral alignment perfect for such a team, should it ever happen in the MCU.
