New Thunderbolts Teaser Trailer Sparks Debate After Seemingly Removing Taskmaster From a Crucial Scene

A new teaser for *Thunderbolts* has ignited a fiery debate among fans regarding the fate of Taskmaster, following the noticeable absence of the character from a pivotal scene. In the original trailer from September 2024, Taskmaster was prominently positioned between Ghost and U.S. Agent during the Watchtower scene. However, the latest teaser, released recently, showcases the same scene but with Taskmaster conspicuously missing.

This omission, coupled with the absence of Taskmaster actress Olga Kurylenko from the recently announced cast of *Avengers: Doomsday*—while other *Thunderbolts* characters were included—has led many MCU enthusiasts to speculate that Taskmaster may not survive the film. The question on everyone's mind is: why was Taskmaster included in the original trailer but removed from the new teaser? Theories abound, ranging from Marvel attempting to mislead fans to strategic adjustments in anticipation of *Avengers: Doomsday*.

Further fueling speculation, the frames from both the original trailer and the new teaser are not identical. Apart from Taskmaster's absence, the positioning of the other characters is slightly altered. This has led to theories that Sentry might have 'deleted' Taskmaster in this scene, a power he's demonstrated in other trailer shots. Could Sentry have already eliminated Taskmaster at this point? Or perhaps Taskmaster has turned against the team? The MCU community remains divided and uncertain.

"Marvel pretty much just sealed the fate of this character in the movie," remarked redditor Matapple13. "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..."

"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," countered puckallday.

What we do know is that Sentry is incredibly powerful, as highlighted in the new teaser where Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, describes him as "stronger than all of the Avengers rolled into one." This suggests that Taskmaster could have been easily dispatched or sent to another dimension by Sentry with just a thought.

The MCU has been buzzing with activity this week, including discussions on whether the *Avengers: Doomsday* cast announcement might have inadvertently spoiled *Thunderbolts*. Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. have hinted that more cast reveals for *Avengers: Doomsday* are forthcoming, leaving a glimmer of hope for Taskmaster's future.

We won't have to wait long to uncover the truth. *Thunderbolts* is slated for release in May 2025, followed by the TV show *Ironheart* in June, and Phase 6 will kick off with *The Fantastic Four: First Steps* in July. *Avengers: Doomsday* is scheduled to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with *Secret Wars* following in May 2027.