Thunderbolts* Has the Most Predictable MCU Death Ever (But It Still Had a Twist)

With Thunderbolts* revolving around minor antihero characters, everyone expected a few team members would die before the credits rolled. Once Marvel Studios kicked off its marketing campaign for the movie, fans began to bet on who would most likely be killed first to establish the threat of the Void (Lewis Pullman), the dark persona of the superhero Sentry. Things were not looking great for Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), who keen-eyed fans noticed was missing from the Thunderbolts* trailer in what seemed to be third-act scenes. Add to that Hannah John-Kamen’s revealing comments about a shocking death in Thunderbolts*, and it felt like everyone could see the twist coming. Surprisingly, though, the MCU’s latest movie still manages to do something interesting with its least-guarded secret.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Thunderbolts*

When Thunderbolts* starts, we learn that Yelena (Florence Pugh) is still working for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), as a skilled field agent sent to destroy secret labs from a shady company called OXE. As the movie progresses, we learn that Valentina was once one of the leaders of OXE and has been using labs in poorly-regulated countries to conduct human experiments, all to create a new superhero she can control. When Congress starts to investigate Valentina, she cleans house, destroying all the evidence that could lead to her impeachment as director of the CIA or her imprisonment.

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With all the leftovers from Project Sentry gathered in an underground compound, Valentina sends Yelena on a last mission. She’s tasked with following the thief Ghost (John-Kamen) to the facility, finding out what she’s trying to steal, and disposing of her. Once there, Yelena quickly learns they are not alone, as John Walker (Wyatt Russell), the U.S. Agent, has been sent to kill Yelena. That’s not all, as Taskmaster is also there, hunting Walker. This standoff situation reveals Valentina’s true intentions while also sealing the fate of Taskmaster.

How Does Taskmaster Die in Thunderbolts*?

With four enhanced people aiming at each other’s jugular, Valentina’s secret compound becomes a deadly arena where skilled assassins try to complete their mission while defending themselves. In the heat of the battle, Ghost manages to use her phasing ability to lower Taskmaster’s guard, shooting her in the head. It’s a brutal execution that comes as a shock, as the death has nothing to do with the Void. On the contrary, Ghost killing Taskmaster underlines how Valentina is the true antagonist of Thunderbolts*, as she has sent all her former operatives to the same place, hoping to dispose of them and keep her OXE operations hidden from Congress.

In the months leading up to Thunderbolts*, we were all sure that Taskmaster would die. Before the cast for Avengers: Doomsday was announced, some of us even wondered if Bucky could also sacrifice himself to stop the Void, giving him a meaningful MCU exit. However, it’s safe to say no one could predict Taskmaster would be killed by Ghost in their very first scene together, in such an unceremonious way. As such, Taskmaster’s death is one of those brilliant cinema scenes that prove the path is more important than the destination, as how Taskmaster dies is more shocking than the fact that she’s truly dead.

Murdering Taskmaster also sets Ghost on her path for redemption. While the phase-shifting assassin has killed many people before, she still feels guilty about dispatching Taskmaster once she discovers the truth about Valentina’s plan. Ghost has been used as a pawn and taken a life that, while far from innocent, didn’t deserve to be put down just to cover the tracks of Valentina’s crimes. 

Yelena and John Walker had their redemption laid out before Thunderbolts*, she in Hawkeye and he in the ending of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Ghost was the only one who needed an extra push towards the heroics. Therefore, Taskmaster’s death is an essential storytelling device, motivating Ghost to work with others to stop Valentina. Furthermore, the intense free for all battle gives MCU fans one of the best action scenes of the Multiversal Saga and a genuinely surprising twist that subverts everyone’s expectations about a predictable death.

Thunderbolts* is now available in theaters.

Did you like how Thunderbolts* handled Taskmaster’s death? Let us know in the comments.