The ‘Black Widow’ Trailer Seems To Debunk A Popular Fan Theory

Following the release of the final Black Widow trailer, Marvel fans have been sifting through every frame searching for the tiniest of clues and Easter eggs, as they do. This time around, CBR may have stumbled on a revealing moment that, if correct, would shoot a rather large hole in a popular fan theory surrounding Taskmaster‘s identity.

While the newest trailer shows the classic Marvel villain sticking very close to his comic roots by mimicking the fighting styles of various Avengers, there has been rampant speculation that the Taskmaster’s identity will deviate significantly from the source material. In the comics, Taskmaster is the shadowy mercenary Tony Masters, but fans seem to think Marvel will switch things up in Black Widow and Rachel Weisz‘s Melina Vostokoff will be the assassin beneath the hood.

There’s just one small problem. It sure looks like Weisz’s character and the Taskmaster are in the same action sequence.

In the scene, Red Guardian (David Harbour) hurls his shield at what appears to be Taskmaster as he forces his way into the cockpit. However, we want to emphasize that the scene moves so quickly that it’s hard to determine if the foe is actually Taskmaster or a similarly dressed thug. But if it is the hooded mercenary, well, there goes the Rachel Weisz theory.

As for what sent fans down that road in the first place, Weisz’s character has a history of being a nemesis to Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, according to CBR:

After undergoing the same training as Black Widow, Melina becomes jealous of Natasha’s success and vows to defeat her by becoming a stronger villain than Black Widow is a hero. Though she has no traditional superpowers or enhancements, she is able to hold her own against the likes of Captain America through her superior fighting skills and heavily armored suit.

It should also be noted that Marvel has a history of issuing trailers that keep fans from figuring out secrets too soon. Could this quick edit simply be a red herring Audiences will find out in May, provided the release dates holds.