Florence Pugh recently took to Instagram to take us behind the scenes of Thunderbolts*, and while Black Widow star Olga Kurylenko's post isn't quite as revealing, it still teases her return as Antonia Dreykov.
The daughter of Red Room leader General Dreykov, her mind and body were controlled by a chip which imbued her with uncanny photographic reflexes that allowed her to mimic the fighting techniques of other individuals. Now free of his influence, it remains to be seen what Antonia will bring to the Thunderbolts team as "Taskmaster."
The first concept art for Thunderbolts* showed her suited up, but the fact Kurylenko's chair says "Antonia" is likely telling. The actress had only a handful of lines in Black Widow, so time will tell whether the character is a little more fleshed out in this movie.
"It was just a really different approach and a new kind of story to tell amidst that, which I know they’ve made so many things, but it's not a sequel," director Jake Schreier said last year. "Yes, these characters have appeared before, but it is a new story being told."
"And a story, I think, with a very different perspective than maybe people aren't expecting, and I think that that felt exciting and felt like a real challenge worth taking on," he concluded.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, though we're expecting the story to revolve around the team being sent on a mission to retrieve The Sentry. As one of the MCU's most powerful superheroes, Val controlling the unhinged super soldier could be a big problem in Thunderbolts* and beyond.
Take a closer look at Kurylenko's photo in the Instagram post below.
Confirmed cast members for Thunderbolts* include Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Florence Pugh as Yelena Boleva, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, and Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster.
Recently, Geraldine Viswanathan replaced Ayo Edebiri in an undisclosed role, while Lewis Pullman has taken over as The Sentry following Steve Yeun's shock departure from the movie. Both he and Edebiri are said to have left due to scheduling issues.
Written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo, and directed by Jake Schreier, Thunderbolts* is currently set to be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.