Evidence continues to mount regarding a bigThunderboltsspoiler that Marvel itself does not seem to care about hiding. Thestory of Marvel’sThunderboltsis expected to hit theaters in May 2025, meaning Marvel is leaning heavier into marketing the movie. After the trailers that were released in 2024, Marvel also marketedThunderbolts*as one of the covetedtrailers during 2025’s Super Bowlevent, teasing what is to come from the film and how it will be massively different from the typicalAvengersstories of the MCU.
Of theMarvel movies being released in 2025,Thunderboltsis singular in that it focuses on morally gray characters. Theteam members forThunderboltsinclude the likes of Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, and John Walker, to name only a few, each of which has had some questionable moments in the MCU’s past. Another of the team members has also had a rocky history in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but instead of redemption, more evidence has been provided via theThunderbolts*Super Bowl trailer that they will be the subject of a spoiler that Marvel does not seem to care about hiding.
The Super Bowl Trailer For Thunderbolts* Seemingly Confirms A Dark Theory About Taskmaster
Taskmaster May Meet A Grim Fate
From the scene in which Bucky recruits the other members of the team to the scenes with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in what was onceAvengers Tower inThunderbolts*, Taskmaster is nowhere to be seen. One of the only major scenes that definitely features Taskmaster is the fight sequence between the titular team’s members when they first come together. Beyond that, shockingly little of Taskmaster’s role in the film has been divulged.
Given that it is a studio with a history of changing trailers to hide surprises,Marvel Studios is seemingly not bothering to hide the fact that Taskmaster may meet an untimely fate. For example, a scene that has not yet been shown of Taskmaster could have been included in the Big Game trailer as a means of throwing audiences off the scent. However, the lack of Taskmaster scenes that show her around the other major characters ofThunderbolts*may indicate she dies early in the story.
Taskmaster Is The Team’s Most Divisive Member
If this theory is correct and Taskmaster does indeed die early inThunderbolts*, it would be an unfortunately logical choice. The unfortunate part comes from the fact that it would have been nice to see Taskmaster face some kind of redemption after her actions as a brainwashed assassin for the Red Room, as highlighted inBlack Widow’s ending. Concerning the logical part, however, Taskmaster makes the most sense to kill off, if any character who was confirmed as part of theThunderbolts*cast is to meet an early end.
Thunderbolts* Cast & Marvel Character Guide
Several MCU characters return for Phase 5’s Thunderbolts, a team of antiheroes and reformed villains attempting to follow in the Avengers' footsteps.
The reason for this was the negative reception the character received upon her debut inBlack Widow. Not only was she a one-note villain with little personality, but the differences between her and her comic book counterpart were stark. These reasons, as well as the unclarity of how Taskmaster would fit into the witty banter vibe of theThunderbolts*,mean her death makes more sense than that of any other character. Finally, Taskmaster’s death removes a character that only"punches and shoots,“as Yelena puts it, which has been a criticism of theThunderbolts*roster since its announcement.
How Taskmaster’s Death Could Actually Make Thunderbolts* A Better Movie (& The Super Bowl Trailer Proves It)
Stakes Will Be Established
Another talking point of the Super Bowl trailer forThunderboltsis the teases at the film’s villain. Thecharacter of Bob inThunderboltsis also known as Robert Reynolds in Marvel Comics, an incredibly powerful superhero who goes by the alias Sentry. Sentry, though, has a dark side named The Void, which is teased at length in the Big Game trailer forThunderbolts*. If Taskmaster does indeed die at the beginning ofThunderbolts*, it would make the film a better story thanks to how it could tie to Bob/Sentry/The Void.
If Sentry’s dark side is unleashed early in the movie and it kills Taskmaster, this would be a great way of establishing hefty narrative stakes. Killing off a character that has been dubbed a member of the team would be shocking, not to mention bold. Moreover, this would give the other remaining members of the Thunderbolts a strong reason for coming together to stop The Void. If Marvel is pushing Taskmaster’s earlyThunderbolts*death into plain sight, it could make sense as a way to remove a lesser-beloved character while establishing a sense of narrative weight.
