When the second trailer for Thunderbolts* was released, fans began to notice that Black Widow baddie Antonia Dreykov, aka Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), wasn't featured in the movie's marketing nearly as much as her teammates. This led to speculation that the character would be killed off, which Marvel all-but confirmed when they announced that every other main cast member aside from Kurylenko would be back for Avengers: Doomsday.
There were theories that this might be some kind of deliberate swerve to keep a specific plot point relating to Taskmaster under wraps, but no, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) blows her head off about four minutes after she shows up on screen.
This take on Taskmaster wasn't exactly what you'd call a fan-favourite, but Kurylenko is a talented actress and the character did have potential after finding redemption at the end of Black Widow. Even leaving that aside, why introduce her just to kill her off so unceremoniously in the first act? Wouldn't it have benefited the story to allow audiences to get to know her first and add a bit of weight to her demise?
Director Jake Schreier had the following to say during a recent interview with Games Radar.
"Obviously, it's a big decision. We felt like a movie like this needed something like that, where you're like, 'Okay, if they'll do that, they could do anything,' you know, and you don't really know exactly where the thing is going to go. It needed a bit of shock or surprise."
This does make a certain amount of sense - even though Thunderbolts* is far from Marvel's take on The Suicide Squad - but something tells us there was more to it.
Though Kurylenko has yet to address her character's fate directly, she did say the following during an interview with Screen Rant last year.
"Well, they changed a couple of things. [Laughs] That's all I can say, but that also doesn't say anything, because obviously every movie is different, and in every movie, things change. But yeah, it will be different, we'll see. There's nothing I can say."
It may also be telling that Kurylenko didn't take part in any promotion for the movie right up until her appearance at the US premiere earlier this week.
We may never get the full story, but as things stand, the movie's throwaway use of Taskmaster really feels like a waste of the character.
Have you seen the movie yet? If so, let us know what you thought in the comments. You can check out our review here.
Marvel Studios recently announced the exciting news that Son Lux will be scoring Thunderbolts*. The three-member, American experimental band was Oscar and BAFTA- nominated for their score for 2022’s best picture, Everything Everywhere All at Once.
In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
Returning to their Marvel Cinematic Universe roles are Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The cast also includes newcomers to the MCU—Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer and Wendell Edward Pierce.
Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers.
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* opens in U.S. theaters on May 2, 2025.