A recent teaser for the upcoming Marvel film *Thunderbolts* has ignited a heated debate among fans regarding the fate of Taskmaster, played by Olga Kurylenko. The initial trailer from September 2024 depicted Taskmaster standing prominently between Ghost and U.S. Agent in the Watchtower scene. However, the latest teaser has fans buzzing as it shows the same scene with Taskmaster conspicuously absent.
This omission, coupled with the fact that Kurylenko was not included in the recent cast announcement for *Avengers: Doomsday*, while other *Thunderbolts* characters were, has led some MCU enthusiasts to speculate that Taskmaster might not survive the film. The absence of Taskmaster from the teaser has prompted numerous fan theories, ranging from Marvel attempting to mislead audiences to strategic changes in the narrative concerning *Avengers: Doomsday*.
Interestingly, a closer look at the frames reveals that not only is Taskmaster missing, but the positioning of the other characters has also slightly changed. This has led to speculation that Sentry, a character known for his immense power, might have 'deleted' Taskmaster in this scene, a capability he's demonstrated in other trailer footage. Some fans wonder if Sentry could have already eliminated Taskmaster at this point, or if Taskmaster might have switched sides.
Redditor Matapple13 commented, "Marvel pretty much just sealed the fate of this character in the movie. 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, user puckallday suggested a different perspective, 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 opens with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, describing Sentry as "stronger than all of the Avengers rolled into one," hinting at his capability to potentially erase Taskmaster from existence with a mere thought.
As the MCU continues to evolve, the latest developments, including the *Avengers: Doomsday* cast announcement, have kept fans on their toes. Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. have hinted that more cast reveals are on the horizon, leaving room for speculation about Taskmaster's future.
Fans won't have to wait long to uncover the truth. *Thunderbolts* is slated for release in May 2025, followed by the *Ironheart* TV show in June, and *The Fantastic Four: First Steps* kicking off Phase 6 in July. *Avengers: Doomsday* is scheduled to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with *Secret Wars* following in May 2027.
