A new teaser for Thunderbolts has sparked a heated debate among fans regarding the fate of Taskmaster, following the noticeable absence of the character from a key scene. Initially, the Thunderbolts trailer released in September 2024 depicted Taskmaster positioned between Ghost and U.S. Agent in the Watchtower scene. However, the latest teaser reveals the same scene without Taskmaster, fueling speculation about the character's survival in the movie.
Adding to the intrigue, Olga Kurylenko, who plays Taskmaster, was notably absent from the recently announced cast list for Avengers: Doomsday, while other Thunderbolts characters were included. This has led some MCU fans to theorize that Taskmaster may not survive Thunderbolts.
The question remains: why include Taskmaster in the original trailer only to exclude them in the new teaser? Various fan theories have emerged, ranging from Marvel employing a double-bluff tactic to adjusting their narrative strategy for Avengers: Doomsday. Additionally, subtle differences in the positioning of characters between the two scenes have led some to speculate that Sentry might have 'deleted' Taskmaster, a power he's shown to possess in other trailer shots. Could Sentry have already eliminated Taskmaster at this point, or did Taskmaster perhaps switch sides?
"Marvel pretty much just sealed the fate of this character in the movie," noted redditor Matapple13. "Yesterday they announced Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Lewis Pullman in the Avengers: Doomsday cast, but Olga Kurylenko (Taskmaster's actress) was blatantly absent, and now, Marvel posts this..."
Contrarily, some fans believe there might be a twist. "The amount of people saying she’s dying and Marvel seemingly leaning into that by barely showing her make me think there's a reveal there with her in the movie and that she lives," suggested puckallday.
Sentry's immense power is a key factor in these speculations. The teaser starts with Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, describing Sentry as "stronger than all of the Avengers rolled into one." This suggests that Taskmaster could have been easily dispatched by Sentry.
The MCU has been buzzing with activity this week, and we've delved into whether the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement might have spoiled Thunderbolts. Moreover, Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. have hinted that more cast reveals for Avengers: Doomsday are forthcoming, leaving room for hope regarding Taskmaster's fate.
We won't have to wait long to uncover the truth. Thunderbolts is scheduled for release in May 2025, followed by the TV show Ironheart in June, and Phase 6 will kick off with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July. Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with Secret Wars following in May 2027.
