Thunderbolts* Really Messed Up [SPOILER]’s Death

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In the movie Thunderbolts, viewers are taken aback by a significant death of a main character, yet the film disappointingly handles this unexpected demise poorly. This Marvel Cinematic Universe production introduces an unusual alliance of antiheroes, including Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell). Initially, in Thunderbolts, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s character Valentina Allegra de Fontaine entices Yelena, Ghost, Taskmaster, and Walker to a deadly trap within a secluded vault as part of her plan to conclude the last remaining secrets associated with her clandestine government operations. As events unfold, pandemonium breaks loose, and eventually, the team reaches an agreement, but not without one member meeting their untimely end.

WARNING: Major spoilers for Thunderbolts* below

In the intense battle at Valentina’s OXE Corp. facility, Ghost suddenly fires a close-range shot into Taskmaster’s head, resulting in her immediate demise. The demise of the Red Room overseer General Dreykov’s now-freed daughter causes little emotional response among the characters present, and the narrative of Thunderbolts* swiftly progresses post-event. While eliminating Taskmaster in Thunderbolts* wasn’t necessarily a poor choice, considering the unfavorable response towards the MCU adaptation’s significant departure from the comics, it would have been more impactful if it held some significance.

Taskmaster’s Death in Thunderbolts* Was Horribly Executed

It’s strange and disheartening that Ghost was killed off in a style reminiscent of Taskmaster so early in the movie, “Black Widow” (2021), especially since promotional materials suggested she would be part of the main team. It’s unfortunate that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) chose to use a bait-and-switch tactic with Taskmaster, prematurely eliminating Ghost immediately after her screen debut.

Antonia’s heartrending past is revealed in “Black Widow” (2021), where she nearly died in a Budapest bomb attack as a child and had a chip installed in her neck, giving General Dreykov control over her actions. Dreykov then conscripted her into his Red Room program, teaching her to mimic the fighting styles of other heroes, thus creating Taskmaster. Given her history of trauma and high body count, Taskmaster would have been an ideal fit for the morally complex team of damaged combatants in the potential “Thunderbolts” movie. However, the MCU unexplainably decided to write off Taskmaster early on.

In the wake of Taskmaster’s demise, Yelena, Ghost, and Walker show little sorrow or regret. Instead, they seize her weapons, and when Ghost inquires about their past encounters with Taskmaster, Yelena acknowledges that he had a challenging life but was responsible for numerous deaths. The movie, *Thunderbolts*, only briefly mentions Taskmaster’s identity and history, and swiftly moves on to the next plot point without delving deeper into his background. Placing Taskmaster’s death early in *Thunderbolts* prevents the event from significantly influencing the story, making this narrative decision even more perplexing.

Thunderbolts* Should Have Given Taskmaster’s Death a Purpose

Despite Taskmaster’s limited screen time prior to Thunderbolts*, it seemed fitting that her death held more significance given her crucial role in Black Widow. The film revolved around Taskmaster and other brainwashed girls breaking free from their oppressive upbringing, making their emotional liberation a pivotal moment. Given this context, one might expect Taskmaster’s ultimate fate to be more impactful in Thunderbolts*. It would have been intriguing to explore her life after gaining freedom from her father, but unfortunately, Thunderbolts* fails to provide any character development before her permanent demise.

Instead of leaving Taskmaster out of the main team in Thunderbolts, it could have been more impactful if she had joined them and perished towards the end of the film. This would have raised the stakes during the climactic battle with Sentry/The Void (Lewis Pullman), making the ending more emotionally resonant. While some may argue that Taskmaster’s MCU introduction was underused, her death doesn’t necessarily have to follow suit.

Currently, Thunderbolts is showing in theaters.

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2025-05-05 00:42