However, I think it’s more likely that Antonia slowly becomes the MCU’s version of Tony Masters. Right off the bat, the name Antonia can be seen as a feminized version of Tony. Seeing as how Antonia’s only line in the entire film is “Is he gone?”, referring to her abusive father, it’s clear that she wanted to be free of Dreykov’s control. With her father dead and her free will regained, I can see the MCU’s Taskmaster taking on a new name in future projects: Toni Masters.
Antonia Dreykov’s Future
We don’t know what Antonia’s personality is like beneath the mask since she didn’t get to see much of her true character in Black Widow. That doesn’t mean she can’t become something truly special in the future, though. Taskmaster is too interesting of an enemy to use only once and Marvel doesn’t tend to waste their villains. I wouldn’t be surprised if Antonia sets out to use her abilities for her own ends, but I doubt she’ll be a straight-up bad guy when she returns.
On the other hand, Taskmaster as a hero seems like another huge deviation from the comics. Instead, I think it’s likely that Antonia returns as part of the team being formed by the mysterious Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (played by Julia Louis Dreyfus). This would allow Antonia to make choices for herself but still be in a position to play the role of an antagonist.
Taskmaster should return sooner rather than later. Antonia can operate in a morally grey area regardless of her feelings towards Natasha and Yelena, but I don’t want her reduced to a villain. She was also one of Dreykov’s victims and that impact should be explored as much as possible. With that in mind, working for Val won’t erase that aspect of Antonia’s character but could still put her in conflict with any number of Avengers.
Black Widow is now playing in theaters and is also available on Disney+ via Premier Access.
