Black Widow's take on Taskmaster was comic-accurate in the sense that the villain both mimicked the MCU's superheroes and was a force to be reckoned with. We'd eventually learn that he was a she, with Tony Masters swapped out for Antonia Dreykov.
Decked out in a much-improved costume in Thunderbolts*, the hope had been that Taskmaster might find some redemption in the movie. Instead, Olga Kurylenko had a single line of dialogue and a brief fight scene before she was gunned down by Ghost.
We've since learned that original plans called for her to become a New Avenger, with an entire subplot devoted to Taskmaster bonding with Ghost and repeatedly attempting to kill John Walker due to her memory issues. Director Jake Schreier, however, felt the movie needed some added stakes and decided the best way to achieve that was to have one of the leads die early on.
Some fans were fine with it, while others have demanded "#JusticeForTaskmaster." Kurylenko has said she's open to reprising the role if asked, and when we spoke to her and co-star Oliver Trevena for their new movie, Misdirection, we asked what the support from fans means to her.
"It means a lot and touches my heart. I'm very grateful," the Quantum of Solace star says in the video below. "I didn't expect such a following or the fight they're putting on. It's really sweet of them."
"I've actually communicated with the guy who started this whole movement—he was posting on Instagram. I ended up answering him, and we're directly in touch now," Kurylenko continued. "I thanked him for his support. I just thought it was really kind."
It's a shame that Taskmaster had such a sudden exit from Thunderbolts*, and it seems she was deemed the movie's most expendable character. Whether that's down to the mixed response Antonia received in Black Widow is hard to say.
Still, the support from fans clearly means a lot to Kurylenko, and it's something we're sure Marvel Studios has taken note of. With Multiversal movies like Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon, anything is possible.
Misdirection follows a couple driven to carry out a series of high-end heists to pay off a dangerous mob debt. When their latest break-in — targeting a prominent defence attorney — spirals out of control, the pair find themselves caught in a web of secrets, deception, and deadly consequences.
Directed by Kevin Lewis (Willy's Wonderland), Misdirection is available on Digital 2/10 from Cineverse. The action thriller stars Frank Grillo (Superman, Avengers: Endgame), Olga Kurylenko (Black Widow, Quantum of Solace) and Oliver Trevena (The Gorge, Plane) in a riveting heist where nothing is what it seems.