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Thunderbolts* Shocks Fans by Wasting Taskmaster’s Arc With a Heartless Early Exit

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Warning: This article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts*

At long last, Thunderbolts* has graced our screens, marking the commencement of the 2025 summer movie season and offering a fresh, entertaining addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s a delightful blend of real-life action sequences, talented actors, and an unexpectedly profound examination of depression that makes Thunderbolts* feel like a much-needed breath of fresh air for the MCU. A significant part of its success stems from revisiting the core concept upon which the MCU was built: transforming lesser-known heroes into beloved characters by skillfully pairing them in intriguing ways. This series turned the D-list heroes The Guardians of the Galaxy into household names, and has managed to make the Thunderbolts some of the MCU’s most compelling characters… with one exception.

Indeed, it was no secret in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that Antonia Dreykov, also known as Taskmaster, wouldn’t survive for long. Although she was initially part of the team announced at D23, the trailers suggested she wouldn’t make it past the team’s first encounter. Despite being present in the first trailer when the team assembled at Avengers Tower, she was noticeably absent from all subsequent trailers. Actress Olga Kurylenko showcases her talents before being killed by Ghost, and apart from a fleeting reference later on, her character is overlooked and forgotten. This is unfortunate, and one of the film’s main flaws lies in killing off Taskmaster. This not only denies the film opportunities for intriguing developments for the character but also seems like a ploy to please fans while disregarding the thoughtful choice made in the Black Widow movie, leading to an underwhelming and harsh farewell for one of the MCU’s most poignant characters.

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Taskmaster Had a Lot of Story Potential

The main problem with eliminating Taskmaster is that we missed out on exploring all the intriguing new interactions she could have had with her teammates. The charm of a group mission lies in watching members connect and create new relationships, and Taskmaster had a wealth of potential connections to develop her character further. Yelena, for instance, seems affected by Taskmaster’s death, yet it appears somewhat brief, especially considering everything we know about their shared past as child soldiers. The dynamics between Yelena and Taskmaster post-Black Widow could have been an engaging aspect to delve into.

In the world of Black Widow, it’s possible to delve into the intriguing relationship dynamics between Antonia’s Taskmaster and Alexi Shostakov, also known as The Red Guardian. Since we know from Black Widow that Alexi was once friends with Antonia’s father, General Dreykov, but Dreykov betrayed him, it could be interesting to consider how this past friendship might influence their interactions now. Given Antonia’s strained relationship with her own father, she might find Alexi, who seems to care deeply for his adopted daughters Natasha and Yelena, to be a potential replacement father figure. This is particularly intriguing given that we last saw Antonia in the company of Alexi, Yelena, and Melina Vostokoff in Black Widow, suggesting a pre-existing bond between them.

In rumors about the Thunderbolts team, a friendship between Taskmaster and Ava Starr/Ghost was hinted at. However, considering that Ghost ultimately kills Taskmaster in the storyline, this idea now carries an ironic tone. Despite their tragic pasts – both having experienced life-changing traumas as children – they were instead manipulated into becoming weapons rather than receiving the care they needed. Although Ghost is portrayed less extensively in the film, her sarcastic personality could have offered interesting contrast to Antonia’s more reserved demeanor.

In other words, it seems that Bucky Barnes, also known as The Winter Soldier, could have formed a strong connection with Taskmaster due to their shared past of being manipulated and turned into weapons against their will. As the backstory for Antonia, Taskmaster, is not fully explored after the movie “Black Widow”, it can be inferred that she might have experienced significant trauma similar to Bucky, which could have been difficult for her to overcome. Bucky, having gone through a similar experience, could have served as a mentor figure for Taskmaster, helping her see that she is more than just an assassin and should not hold herself responsible for the crimes committed by her father. This dynamic had the potential for compelling storytelling but appears to have been overlooked in the MCU, which may make the “Thunderbolts” movie less appealing.

Taskmaster’s Death Clashes Hard With ‘Black Widow’ and ‘Thunderbolts*’ Message

In the movie Thunderbolts, Taskmaster’s death comes swiftly, but considering the narrative of Black Widow and her earlier MCU appearances, it presents a grim conclusion for the character. Contrary to the resolution in Black Widow that allowed her to live because it recognized she was a victim rather than a villain, this ending contradicts that choice. Throughout the story, Natasha Romanoff fought to take control of her life and forge her own path. Unfortunately, after gaining bodily autonomy, her journey ends tragically with her death, leaving everyone, including Yelena, to lament that she had a difficult existence.

It appears that Thunderbolts has some contrasting ideas with certain broader themes it aims to address. Rather than focusing solely on their dark pasts, as one might expect from Thunderbolts’ exploration of various characters, this series offers opportunities for these characters to demonstrate they are more complex than their past actions. Characters like Yelena, Bob Reynolds, and John Walker/U.S. Agent receive more attention than Bucky Barnes or Ghost in terms of development, but all are given critical moments to show a softer, more human side to characters that were previously viewed as insignificant by many fans.

Although Thunderbolts is often compared to Marvel’s Suicide Squad, the series demonstrates genuine concern for its characters, suggesting they have much to contribute to both the world and the franchise at large. However, Taskmaster does not receive the same opportunity for character growth in this context.

The demise of Taskmaster appears unjust. It seems she was denied the opportunity to discover a fresh meaning in life or form new relationships, like other characters, which feels unfair given her tragic backstory as a young girl traumatized by a bombing and subsequently manipulated into becoming a lethal weapon against her will. Her abrupt and seemingly inconsequential death in this film leaves audiences questioning the story’s intent, purpose, and relevance to the plot. Director Jake Schreier explained in an interview with Phase Hero’s Brandon Davis that the decision to kill off Taskmaster was made for reasons unexplained within the narrative itself.

The film seemed somewhat devoid of intensity. While I understand it wouldn’t be suitable for an R-rating, if there’s no conflict or loss of characters, it seems like the necessary tension is lacking for the story to effectively unfold. It’s a tough call and unfortunate… I didn’t enjoy making this criticism.

Indeed, one may ponder why Taskmaster was chosen out of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) characters to perish? Was she more deserving than John Walker or others, such as Zemo, who Marvel has yet to indicate any intention of eliminating? This aspect seems to be the most puzzling because it appears that Taskmaster was destined to die solely for the purpose of the plot.

Killing Taskmaster Feels Like an Overcorrection

In Thunderbolts, it seems like Marvel is trying to redefine Taskmaster’s character, perhaps in response to fan feedback after Black Widow. The Taskmaster from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) significantly deviates from his comic book counterpart. In the comics, Anthony “Tony” Masters is a mercenary who often works for criminals, known for his humor and being a tough adversary to the Avengers. However, in the MCU, Taskmaster has been portrayed as a more ruthless, Terminator-like character, with a backstory connected to the Red Room and Natasha Romanoff’s (Black Widow) actions. The character retains the ability to mimic any move it observes, but its new interpretation is darker compared to the comic book version.

The daring and innovative decision made for the movie fit perfectly within its narrative. Yet, a significant portion of fans voiced their disapproval, expressing a preference for a more faithful adaptation of the character. When Marvel Studios revealed that Taskmaster would be part of the upcoming “Thunderbolts” project, it initially appeared as though they were committed to their revised interpretation of the character while also potentially making adjustments. However, whispers soon circulated that “Thunderbolts” was being scripted to soften aspects from the “Black Widow” film, and it’s hard not to suspect that Taskmaster might have been among those alterations. In a conversation with “Phase Hero,” director Jake Schreier explained that this change occurred during the SAG-AFTRA strikes when the movie was on pause, with him stating:

I wouldn’t use words like ‘capricious’ or ‘tossing things out.’ Instead, I’d describe it as a difficult yet necessary step, using the death of a character to enrich our story and develop the rest of the characters. Olga Kurylenko was incredibly cooperative in filming this scene under challenging circumstances.

In a similar manner to how Marvel subtly introduced a new take on The Mandarin character in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, following their surprising portrayal of him in Iron Man 3, it seems that the swift elimination of the Taskmaster early on in the MCU could be paving the way for the introduction of a more authentic Taskmaster. However, unlike Wenwu who shared some characteristics with the original Mandarin but was also significantly different, the new Taskmaster may bear little resemblance to the one we saw die quickly. This approach suggests that the MCU is not entirely discarding the previous version of the character but rather expanding upon it in a more nuanced and sophisticated manner.

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2025-05-04 05:08

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