A new teaser for Thunderbolts has sparked a debate among fans about the fate of Taskmaster after the character appears to have been removed from a key scene. The original trailer from September 2024 showed Taskmaster standing between Ghost and U.S. Agent in the Watchtower scene, but the latest teaser omits Taskmaster entirely.

This absence, coupled with the fact that Taskmaster actress Olga Kurylenko was not included in the recently announced cast for Avengers: Doomsday—while other Thunderbolts characters were—has led some MCU fans to speculate that Taskmaster may not survive the movie.

The change in the teaser has prompted various theories. Some fans believe Marvel might be engaging in a double-bluff to mislead viewers, while others think it could be related to Marvel's planning for Avengers: Doomsday. Additionally, the slight differences in character positioning between the two frames have led to speculation that Sentry, who has been shown to have the power to 'delete' people, might have already eliminated Taskmaster in the scene. Other theories suggest Taskmaster might turn against the team.

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

Conversely, puckallday speculated, "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."

The teaser begins with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, describing Sentry as "stronger than all of the Avengers rolled into one," hinting at his immense power, which could easily explain Taskmaster's disappearance.

With Thunderbolts set to release in May 2025, followed by Ironheart in June and The Fantastic Four: First Steps kicking off Phase 6 in July, fans won't have to wait long to see what happens. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for May 1, 2026, and Secret Wars will follow in May 2027. Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. have hinted that more cast announcements for Avengers: Doomsday are forthcoming, leaving room for hope regarding Taskmaster's fate.