A new teaser for Thunderbolts has ignited a heated debate among fans regarding the fate of Taskmaster, following observations that the character appears to have been removed from a pivotal scene.
In the initial trailer released in September 2024, Taskmaster was prominently featured standing between Ghost and U.S. Agent in the Watchtower scene. However, in the latest teaser, the same scene is shown without Taskmaster.
This change, coupled with the absence of Taskmaster actress Olga Kurylenko from the recently announced cast of Avengers: Doomsday, while other Thunderbolts characters were included, has led many MCU fans to speculate that Taskmaster might not survive the movie.
The decision to include Taskmaster in the original trailer but exclude her from the new teaser has sparked numerous theories. Some fans believe Marvel might be employing a double-bluff strategy, while others think it could be a way to keep fans guessing about the plot of Avengers: Doomsday.
Moreover, a closer look reveals that the frames from the original trailer and the new teaser are not identical. The positioning of the characters is slightly different, leading to further speculation. Could Sentry, known for his ability to 'delete' people as shown in other trailer shots, have already eliminated Taskmaster in this scene? Or might Taskmaster have turned against the team? The uncertainty has left fans puzzled.
"Marvel pretty much just sealed the fate of this character in the movie," remarked 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..."
"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," commented puckallday.
What is clear is that Sentry is an incredibly powerful character, as highlighted in the teaser by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who describes him as "stronger than all of the Avengers rolled into one." This suggests that Taskmaster could have been easily dispatched or sent to another dimension by Sentry.
The MCU has been buzzing with activity this week, including discussions on whether the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement might have spoiled elements of Thunderbolts. Additionally, Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. have hinted that more cast announcements for Avengers: Doomsday are forthcoming, leaving room for hope that Taskmaster might still have a role to play.
We won't have to wait long to uncover the truth. Thunderbolts is slated for release in May 2025, followed by the TV show Ironheart in June, and the kickoff of Phase 6 with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with Secret Wars following in May 2027.
