A new teaser for Thunderbolts has sparked a heated debate among fans about the fate of Taskmaster after observant viewers noticed the character's absence from a key scene that was present in an earlier trailer.
The original Thunderbolts trailer from September 2024 prominently featured Taskmaster standing between Ghost and U.S. Agent in the Watchtower scene. However, the latest teaser released shows the same scene, but with Taskmaster conspicuously missing.
This omission, coupled with the absence of Taskmaster actress Olga Kurylenko from the recently announced cast list for Avengers: Doomsday—while other Thunderbolts characters were included—has led many MCU enthusiasts to speculate that Taskmaster may meet a grim fate in the movie.
The change from the original trailer to the new teaser has left fans puzzled and theorizing. Some believe Marvel might be employing a double-bluff strategy or adjusting its narrative approach in relation to Avengers: Doomsday. Additionally, slight differences in the positioning of characters between the two frames have fueled speculation that Sentry, known for his ability to 'delete' individuals as seen in other trailer scenes, may have already eliminated Taskmaster at this point in the story. Other theories suggest Taskmaster could 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..."
On the other hand, some fans, like puckallday, hold out hope for a twist, stating, "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."
The teaser underscores Sentry's immense power, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus' character, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, describing him as "stronger than all of the Avengers rolled into one." This suggests that Taskmaster could have been easily dispatched or even sent to an alternate dimension with just a thought from Sentry.
As the MCU continues to evolve, this week has been particularly eventful, with discussions around whether the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement might have inadvertently spoiled elements of Thunderbolts. Additionally, both Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. have hinted that more cast announcements for Avengers: Doomsday are forthcoming, potentially leaving room for Taskmaster's inclusion.
Fans won't have to wait long to see how the story unfolds. Thunderbolts is set to hit theaters in May 2025, followed by the Ironheart TV show in June, and the launch of Phase 6 with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July. Avengers: Doomsday is slated for release on May 1, 2026, with Secret Wars following in May 2027.
