Thunderbolts Trailer Debate: Taskmaster's Absence in Key Scene Sparks Controversy

A new teaser for *Thunderbolts\** has ignited intense speculation among Marvel fans regarding the fate of Taskmaster, following a noticeable edit in one of the film’s key scenes. In the original September 2024 trailer, Taskmaster is clearly visible standing between Ghost and U.S. Agent inside the Watchtower. However, in the latest teaser, that same scene appears to have been altered—Taskmaster is nowhere to be seen.

This unexpected change has led many to question what happened to the character. Adding fuel to the fire is the recent *Avengers: Doomsday* cast announcement, which included actors portraying other *Thunderbolts\** characters—but notably excluded Olga Kurylenko, who plays Taskmaster. This omission has led some MCU fans to speculate that Taskmaster may not survive the events of *Thunderbolts\**.

So why include Taskmaster in the first trailer but cut him from the newer version? Fans have proposed several theories, ranging from Marvel intentionally misleading viewers to buying time while finalizing storylines for *Avengers: Doomsday*. Some even suggest that the difference in framing could indicate a major narrative twist—like Sentry erasing Taskmaster entirely, as he's shown doing to others in the trailer. Could Taskmaster already be gone at this point in the timeline? Or did she switch sides before disappearing?

“Marvel pretty much just sealed the fate of this character in the movie,” said Reddit user 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 that Taskmaster’s minimal presence could be a clever misdirection. As one commenter noted, “The amount of people saying she’s dying and Marvel seemingly leaning into that by barely showing her makes me think there’s a reveal there with her in the movie—and that she lives.”

What’s certain is that Sentry is an incredibly powerful force in the MCU, and the new teaser reinforces this. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine describes him as “stronger than all of the Avengers rolled into one.” If true, it’s entirely possible that Taskmaster could have been eliminated from existence—or worse—with little more than a thought.

There’s still hope, though. Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. have hinted that more casting news for *Avengers: Doomsday* is yet to come, so Taskmaster’s fate may not be sealed just yet.

We won’t have to wait long to find out. Thunderbolts\* hits theaters in May 2025, followed by the *Ironheart* TV series in June. Phase 6 officially kicks off with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July 2025. Then, *Avengers: Doomsday* arrives on May 1, 2026, with *Secret Wars* set to conclude the saga in May 2027.