One ‘Thunderbolts*’ Character Almost Had a Different Storyline

The following post contains some spoilers for Thunderbolts*, all about the Taskmaster character.

In the creation of all Marvel films, there is a thorough process of script revisions that occur before, during, and after filming has wrapped up. The writers brainstorm initial concepts, directors contribute additional ideas, and naturally, Marvel Studios offers significant input as well. Even after scenes have been filmed, Marvel may opt to reshoot certain parts, particularly if alterations in their master plan necessitate it and the new plan clashes with previously recorded footage. It’s rare for a Marvel film to end up looking exactly as it was initially drafted on paper.

For Marvel’s newest release, “Thunderbolts,” it appears that one of the two screenwriters, Eric Pearson, stated that much of the movie closely resembles his initial plans and adheres to the structure he outlined in the film’s earliest drafts. However, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he disclosed the most significant alteration from the script to the final version: Olga Kurylenko’s character, Taskmaster, was initially a main character throughout the entire narrative. In the final cut of the movie, she is instead killed very early on by Ghost.

As Pearson explained it:

Upon catching the initial scene, the most striking alteration was Taskmaster firing that shot, which left me utterly astonished. In my preliminary sketches, Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster served as the film’s protagonist, and she shared a minor side storyline with Ava/Ghost. Having both grown up in laboratories, Ava took on the role of an older sister, guiding Taskmaster on how to escape and forge her own identity.

Indeed, that’s quite a surprising twist in the final movie, given that Ghost is the one who ultimately takes out Taskmaster. According to Pearson, this alteration likely occurred due to the audience’s genuine shock during testing.

Director Jake Schreier explained, “We aimed to shock the audience and increase tension by conveying, ‘Danger is present, no one is invulnerable.'” As Pearson stated, they indeed succeeded in this endeavor. Unfortunately, it’s not a favorable result for Taskmaster or Kurylenko.

Thunderbolts* is in theaters now.

The Worst Performances in Marvel Movies

Zawe Ashton, The Marvels

It’s only fair to acknowledge that portraying Dar-Benn, the vengeful alien leader in this movie who holds Captain Marvel responsible for the destruction of her home planet, would have posed a challenge even for an acting legend like Laurence Olivier. After all, Dar-Benn is essentially just bitterness personified with a powerful cosmic bracelet. However, despite the one-dimensional nature and formulaic motivations of Dar-Benn in this film, Zawe Ashton managed to breathe some life into a character type that has been seen numerous times in Marvel movies before, though she didn’t exactly add any new layers to the stock character.

Gemma Chan, Eternals

The romantic struggle between Gemma Chan’s character Sersi and Richard Madden’s Ikaris in “Eternals” ought to be its emotional heart. However, despite Ikaris possessing extraordinary energy abilities, there seems to be no chemistry or spark between them. This lack of connection was evident even in their highly-anticipated love scene, which marked a first for Marvel Studios and unfortunately ranks as one of the most uninspiring portrayals of intimacy in contemporary mainstream movies. (I’m stretching my imagination here, but perhaps because the Eternals are ancient celestial beings and are unfamiliar with the concept of physical intimacy? This is the best explanation I can muster.) The term “lifeless” might be the most fitting to describe the overall feel of “Eternals,” and it’s unfortunate that this tone also extends to the lead performances.

Russell Crowe, Thor: Love and Thunder

Just as the tales of Thor, the powerful Norse deity, have been passed down throughout history, stories will likely be told about Russell Crowe’s eccentric portrayal of Zeus in this movie. Future generations may find it hard to believe, but they will speak of its lore. It is said that Crowe was determined to use a broad Greek accent for Zeus, while director Taika Waititi was not initially fond of the idea. To ensure satisfaction on both sides, Crowe performed his scenes twice: once with the over-the-top Greek voice and once with a more conventional British accent. According to Waititi in an interview, “test audiences loved the Greek accent” and he was “very pleased” with the final product. I suppose opinions can differ; personally, I found Crowe’s portrayal of the accent so over-the-top that it made the ‘Cheezborger! Cheezborger!’ characters from the old Saturday Night Live sketch seem subtly spoken by comparison.

Christopher Eccleston, Thor: The Dark World

One reason why “Thor: The Dark World” is often criticized as one of the weaker Marvel Cinematic Universe films is the absence of an engaging antagonist. In this film, Thor’s adversary is Malekith, a Dark Elf seeking one of the Infinity Stones. However, if you found watching “Thor: The Dark World” tedious, you might have had a similar experience while making it. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, Christopher Eccleston, who played Malekith, vividly expressed his dissatisfaction with the production, describing it as equivalent to placing a gun in his mouth. In an interview with “The Guardian,” Eccleston stated, “I really paid for being a whore those times.” The audience also seemed to share this sentiment.

Richard Madden, Eternals

Origin Warning: Despite seeming like The Eternals’ bravest and most steadfast hero, Ikaris secretly works against his team to bring about the birth of a Celestial on Earth, which would ultimately lead to the destruction of all life there. Even a worn-out character archetype such as the secret villain can be made captivating with outstanding acting – but Richard Madden plays Ikaris like an emotionless wooden figure capable of emitting laser beams. (Perhaps it was a calculated decision that went awry, given that The Eternals are highly advanced alien robots?)

In just a few scenes, Ikaris attempts to halt his teammates, kills one in flashback, then decides to assist them, only to destroy himself by flying into the sun. Throughout all these scenes, Madden’s expression remains as unchanging as ever. And let me add that there seems to be no chemistry between him and Gemma Chan. No spoiler alert is necessary here, as it is evident from the text itself.

Guy Pearce, Iron Man 3

Some Marvel enthusiasts were furious when filmmaker Shane Black transformed the character who seemed to be the MCU’s Mandarin – Iron Man’s main comic book villain – into a foolish character, an unemployed actor portraying a stereotypical Middle Eastern terrorist. I found this an intriguing twist; why not surprise the audience by giving them something different from their expectations? The larger issue was the true Mandarin, played by Guy Pearce, was exactly what we had anticipated in an Iron Man villain from the previous films: A ruthless capitalist seeking revenge on Tony Stark for thwarting his plans. Moreover, instead of one of the comics’ intriguing Mandarin designs, they made Pearce’s Mandarin a muscular man in trousers with hideous chest tattoos. Despite being a fan of Guy Pearce, you can almost sense his dissatisfaction radiating through those poorly designed tattoos.

Bill Murray, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

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> Curious query: Are we to believe that Bill Murray has never watched a Marvel movie throughout his life? His performance in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ appeared strikingly out of place, as if he was playing an unidentified character. The character’s name is Krylar, a significant resident of the microscopic Quantum Realm, but Murray portrayed him as a peculiar eccentric and flirt. After a brief appearance on screen, Krylar vanished from the movie, leaving one to ponder whether the deleted scenes featuring Krylar were unnecessary or if Murray perhaps misunderstood his role. In either case, it seems unlikely that we’ll see Krylar return for ‘Ant-Man 4: No, But This Time He Gets Really Small.’

Will Poulter, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

A significant character added to the cast of Guardians Vol. 3, particularly in terms of anticipation and media buzz, is Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter. Known for his exceptional performances, fans were excited that he might finally have his moment in the spotlight as he holds a crucial role in Marvel’s comics, especially during the Infinity Gauntlet series. However, those expectations were not met as the MCU’s Warlock turned out to be a minor character in Guardians Vol. 3 and was mainly used for comedic relief, which, as portrayed by Poulter, wasn’t particularly amusing.

Mickey Rourke, Iron Man 2

Mickey Rourke leveraged his career resurgence and an Oscar nomination in “The Wrestler” by accepting the high-profile role as the antagonist Whiplash in “Iron Man 2”. However, the deep psychological nuances and profound melancholy that he had masterfully portrayed in Randy the Ram were absent when Rourke appeared as Whiplash. Instead, Whiplash was characterized by a stereotypical Russian accent, numerous quirks, and even an affinity for birds. Despite Whiplash’s supposed hatred towards Tony Stark’s father for stealing the original arc reactor idea, Rourke’s performance lacked the emotional depth of someone truly seeking revenge, appearing more like someone who had just woken up from a long sleep.

Sylvester Stallone, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Throughout his time at Marvel Studios, James Gunn skillfully directed outstanding performances across various characters in the MCU, including both human and raccoon actors. However, on occasions, some secondary or tertiary characters in the Guardians films seemed like they were added as an afterthought. For instance, Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock serves as a prime example of this. The film Guardians Vol. 2, for one, introduced another team of Guardians without any clear purpose other than their existence in Marvel Comics, including Sylvester Stallone as Starhawk. One might wonder about Rocky’s whereabouts in the cosmos and what he brought to the movie. Stallone’s recognizable face amidst a bizarre interstellar escapade was more of a distraction than anything else, similar to Bill Murray in Quantumania. The saying “less is more” comes to mind when considering this cameo – it seems that “more is less.

2025-05-06 18:25