Thunderbolts* movie features a major death that pulls the rug from underneath the audience
Thunderbolts*, directed by Jake Schreier, was finally released in cinemas on May 1, 2025, and features a new kind of Marvel superhero team. Featuring the likes of Yelena Belova, The Winter Soldier, U.S. Agent, and more, it sees the group go up against Valentina Allegra de Fontaine after she wrongs them, and they also discover a big conspiracy attached to her.
Spoilers: Spoilers for Thunderbolts* to be mentioned below. Reader discretion is advised.
With Thunderbolts* being a massive team of misfits and less than perfect heroes going on a dangerous mission, there are a few casualties to come with it. However, the film features one death, which certainly pulls the rug from underneath the audience.
For those who have followed the marketing for the film, may already know that Taskmaster dies in the film, but the way the film kills her off may just shock those expecting to see a lot of her.
Thunderbolts* kills off Taskmaster in the most shocking way possible
When Thunderbolts* was initially announced, Taskmaster was said to be a core member of the team, and actress Olga Kurylenko was reprising her role from Black Widow.
From there on, the character was then featured in every piece of marketing as well, from being put on the poster to even having many scenes in the trailer, the marketing was setting her up to be a major player in the film.
However, that's not how it plays out in the movie. When Yelena Belova, Ghost, U.S. Agent, and Taskmaster are sent to a lab to take each other out under Valentina's orders, the four get into a fight.
The scene itself takes place at the start of the film, and it is here that Ghost ends up shooting Taskmaster in the head. This is the only scene that Taskmaster has in the film.
Throughout the trailers, fans can see Taskmaster standing alongside the rest of the Thunderbolts in team-up shots and more. However, the character is just edited out of them and is not present in the final shots.
This effectively pulls the rug from underneath the audience, who were expecting to see more of Taskmaster in the film.
So, for those expecting to see the Marvel character have more of a role in the film, they should temper their expectations.
What is the plot of Thunderbolts*?
Thunderbolts* is a brand-new Marvel Studios superhero team-up movie that puts the focus on characters like Yelena Belova, The Winter Soldier, U.S. Agent, The Red Guardian, Ghost, and Bob. Together, the group takes on Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who is involved in a deep conspiracy. The official synopsis for the film reads:
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?
The film stars Florence Pugh, Lewis Pullman, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Harbour, Geraldine Vishwanathan, and more.
The characters are also set to appear next in Avengers: Doomsday. Fans can currently check them out in theatres right now.
For further updates on the film, stay tuned.
