The Thunderbolts* Super Bowl Trailer May Spoil a Big Death

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The tagline on a poster modeled after Wheaties, shown below, accompanies the latest trailer for the Thunderbolts released during the Super Bowl. This new Marvel team of misfits aims to become the heroes gracing the cereal box. The lineup includes Yelena Belova/Black Widow (played by Florence Pugh), a once-depressed assassin; Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), who was brainwashed by Hydra and is an assassin; Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), a past-his-prime Soviet super-soldier; Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), a former S.H.I.E.L.D. spy; dishonorably discharged John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell); and Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko), a Red Room assassin with photo-reflexive abilities. In essence, everyone gets another chance to make things right.

As I reflect on the captivating sneak peek, it hints at a path to redemption for our band of morally grey protagonists, comprising assassins, ex-villains, and myself – a former agent who’s done more than my share of unsavory deeds. This includes covert operations, heisting government facilities, and executing contracts, as I candidly acknowledge.

Bucky informs the Thunderbolts group about a significant danger they’re currently dealing with, which he labels as “Thunderbolts”*, and says they can either address it immediately or have it persist indefinitely. The video evidence shows that this peril is of Avengers magnitude, represented by Bob Reynolds (Lewis Pullman), who carries both a golden armor and a sinister side – the Sentry/the Void. The footage further suggests that one member of the Thunderbolts* may not make it to their next Marvel collaboration in “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars”, and it seems like — potential spoiler alert — Taskmaster might be the unfortunate victim.

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The exhilarating preview depicts former U.S. Army Sergeant Barnes, now a U.S. congressman, engaging in a hearing with CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Subsequently, he opens fire on a Humvee trailing a vehicle containing Yelena, Alexei, Ava, and John. He later informs the bound group, “A significant danger is lurking out there, and you will assist me in thwarting it.

Following the intense basement showdown between Yelena, Ava, John, and Antonia, as hinted in the initial trailer, we find ourselves drawn to a secluded desert facility. Here, Bob, a captive we’ve come to know, awaits his fate. Interestingly, Taskmaster, a character crucial to the narrative, is nowhere to be found in the convoy or the recruiting scene with Barnes. Instead, she makes fleeting appearances; first, unleashing an explosive arrow towards John’s shield, and secondly, in a quick sequence during the trailer’s climactic name montage. This latter appearance, noteworthy, is also reminiscent of the vault battle, hinting at a connection yet to be fully revealed.

Moments ago in the trailer, we see Yelena, Ava, and John narrowly escaping from a vault that self-destructs. Bob is with them, but Taskmaster, who was presumably inside the vault, doesn’t appear to have made it out of the blast. She’s also not seen in any other scenes such as the confrontation with armed agents or the fight between the Thunderbolts and Sentry at Avengers Tower. Furthermore, she’s missing from group shots, suggesting that Taskmaster may meet her end before the team comes together.

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Jake Schreier, who directed “Paper Towns,” will helm Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts” film. This production is overseen by Kevin Feige, known for his work on “Deadpool” and “Wolverine,” and features Louis D’Esposito from “Captain America: Brave New World,” Brian Chapek of “Thor: Love and Thunder,” Jason Tamez from “Loki,” and Scarlett Johansson, who starred in “Black Widow.” The movie is set to hit theaters on May 2.

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2025-02-10 07:39