The latest teaser for Thunderbolts has ignited a fiery debate among fans regarding the fate of Taskmaster, following the noticeable absence of the character from a pivotal scene. Initially, the September 2024 trailer for Thunderbolts prominently featured Taskmaster positioned between Ghost and U.S. Agent in the Watchtower scene. However, the new teaser released recently shows the same scene, but with Taskmaster conspicuously missing.

This change, coupled with the absence of Taskmaster actress Olga Kurylenko from the recently announced cast of Avengers: Doomsday—while other Thunderbolts characters were included—has led many MCU enthusiasts to speculate that Taskmaster may not survive the film. The question arises: why include Taskmaster in the original trailer only to exclude the character in the new teaser? Fans have proposed various theories, ranging from Marvel attempting to mislead audiences to adjusting their narrative strategy in relation to Avengers: Doomsday.

Adding to the intrigue, a closer examination reveals that the frames from the original trailer and the new teaser are not identical; not only is Taskmaster missing, but the positions of the other characters have also shifted slightly. This has led some to theorize that Sentry might have 'deleted' Taskmaster in this scene, a power he has demonstrated in other trailer sequences. Could Sentry have already eliminated Taskmaster at this point? Alternatively, might Taskmaster have switched sides? As it stands, the MCU community remains divided and uncertain.

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

On the other hand, user puckallday commented, "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."

What we do know is that Sentry possesses immense power, highlighted in the new teaser where Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, describes him as "stronger than all of the Avengers rolled into one." This could suggest that Taskmaster's disappearance is the result of Sentry's actions, whether through death, deletion, or being sent to another dimension.

The MCU has been buzzing with activity this week, with discussions on whether the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement has spoiled elements of Thunderbolts. Additionally, Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. have hinted that further cast reveals for Avengers: Doomsday are forthcoming, leaving a glimmer of hope for Taskmaster's future in the franchise.

Fans won't have to wait long to uncover the truth. Thunderbolts is scheduled for release in May 2025, followed by the TV show Ironheart in June, and the kickoff of Phase 6 with The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July. Avengers: Doomsday is slated for May 1, 2026, with Secret Wars set to follow in May 2027.