Black Widow Taskmaster action figure reveals unexpected Marvel cameo
The Taskmaster didn't only study the Avengers.
Action figures for the Marvel movie Black Widow will make their way to toy shelves and Amazon shopping carts very soon. But one early toy reveal actually hints at an unexpected Marvel superhero "cameo." You won't see the Black Panther himself, but you might see Black Panther's powers as shown by the Taskmaster.
On Tamashii.jp, Bandai's website for its premium toy line "S.H. Figuarts," a new listing revealed both the Black Widow and Taskmaster figures as they appear in the upcoming Marvel movie, Black Widow. The film opens in theaters on May 1, while the figures are scheduled for release at retailers like Amazon in June. Black Widow is expected to retail for $60, while Taskmaster is expected to be priced at $69. (Nice.)
While Black Widow's figure impressively resembles actress Scarlett Johansson (this actually isn't the first figure in the S.H. Figuarts line modeled after Johansson's Marvel superspy), it's the figure for Taskmaster that reveals a small spoiler for the movie. The Taskmaster toy contains alternative, swappable hands that show Taskmaster's "claws," which are close in style to the vibranium claws of Black Panther.
You can see the image of Taskmaster's claws below.
The Taskmaster's 'Black Widow' figure in Bandai's S.H. Figuarts line contains Black Panther-style claws. You can almost guarantee that the Taskmaster will use vibranium claws in the movie 'Black Widow.'
Before we explain why the Taskmaster has Black Panther claws, it's important to note why you should believe a few image scans for an action figure. The S.H. Figuarts toy line, a premium six-inch scale line of action figures from toy manufacturer Bandai that targets adult collectors, faithfully recreates characters from franchises like Dragonball Z, Power Rangers, WWE, Harry Potter, and the Marvel and DC movies. (There have also been celebrities like Bruce Lee, Freddy Mercury, and Daft Punk with S.H. Figuarts releases.)
Normally priced at $60 to $120 per figure, the line is aimed at hardcore fans who want their collections to look exactly like they do onscreen. And based on previous releases for lines like Power Rangers and the other Marvel movies, the S.H. Figuarts line includes most, if not all the items and weapons a character uses onscreen, even if it's for a brief moment.
In other words, Bandai doesn't fool fans selling them an expensive action figure with incorrect accessories. So when Bandai includes Black Panther claws for Taskmaster, it's not a mistake. You can pretty much guarantee that Taskmaster will use panther claws in one of his fights in the movie Black Widow, probably against the Black Widow herself.
As for why Taskmaster has Black Panther's claws in the first place, you need only revisit our explainer on the Taskmaster. In short, the Taskmaster is a Marvel villain/anti-hero who has the power to mimic the abilities of other superheroes just by studying them. In both the comics and in the trailers for Black Widow, Taskmaster knows how to use a shield (like Captain America), a bow and arrow (like Hawkeye), as well as a sword (like... Black Knight?).
We haven't seen Taskmaster use Black Panther-style claws in any of the trailers for Black Widow, but now we know he will, and it's all because of his newest action figure.
You can see other images of Taskmaster's S.H. Figuarts figure below.
Black Widow opens in theaters on May 1.
