A new teaser for Thunderbolts has sparked a heated debate among fans regarding the fate of Taskmaster, especially after it was noticed that the character appears to have been removed from a key scene.
The original trailer from September 2024 showcased Taskmaster standing between Ghost and U.S. Agent in the Watchtower scene. However, the latest teaser revisits the same scene but with Taskmaster conspicuously absent.
This omission, 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 may not survive the film.
The question arises: Why was Taskmaster included in the original trailer scene but omitted from the new teaser? Fans have come up with various theories, ranging from Marvel attempting to mislead the audience to adjusting their plans for Avengers: Doomsday.
Further scrutiny reveals that the frames in the two trailers are not identical; not only is Taskmaster missing, but the positions of the other characters are slightly altered. This has led to speculation that Sentry, who is shown in other trailer shots to have the power to 'delete' people, might have already eliminated Taskmaster in the scene, unbeknownst to the rest of the Thunderbolts. Another theory suggests that Taskmaster might have turned against the team.
"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..."
Conversely, some fans believe this could be a misdirection. "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 we do know is that Sentry is incredibly powerful, as highlighted by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's line in the teaser, stating that Sentry is "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, both 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.
