Marvel Fans Think The Thunderbolts Trailer Gives Away A Key Death, But I Think Something Else Is Going On

by

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of comic book movie watching under my belt, I must say that the upcoming Marvel extravaganza, Thunderbolts*, has me both excited and wary. The trailer screams DC’s Suicide Squad vibes, yet I’m not convinced that Marvel will follow suit in terms of character casualties.

At a fundamental level, it seems that the forthcoming Marvel film, Thunderbolts, is Marvel Studios’ response to DC’s The Suicide Squad. It features an assortment of well-known villains who must work together harmoniously and accomplish a task. However, if we examine both live-action iterations of Suicide Squad, it’s become customary for team members to perish, often in gruesome ways. Consequently, Marvel enthusiasts are already preparing for casualties within the Thunderbolts group. Nevertheless, I’m not convinced by the clues fans have gathered based on the latest trailer that such losses will occur.

In the trailer for Thunderbolts, various iterations of the team are shown across its promotional materials, sparking fan debates. Given their significant roles within the MCU, it’s likely that Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh) and Bucky Barnes (portrayed by Sebastian Stan) will survive. In fact, I suspect that the Red Guardian is no longer a candidate for death, as David Harbour truly shines in his role. If he wasn’t going to meet his end in Black Widow, it makes sense that he would remain part of the storyline (and perhaps even star in a Disney+ series later on).

So fans are thinking:

The evidence for her absence mainly lies in the fact that, as seen in the trailer, Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), who was introduced in the Black Widow movie, is conspicuously missing from crucial scenes featuring the entire team. For instance, during the scene where Red Guardian is trying to evade a convoy, only Alexi, Yelena, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell), also known as U.S. Agent, are present. There’s no trace of Taskmaster in these shots.

Later in the trailer, the Thunderbolts are shown ascending in an elevator that used to be called Avengers Tower, where they encounter Valentina (played by Julie Louis Dreyfus). However, during this lift ride, Taskmaster is nowhere to be seen.

But then later, she is there.

In my opinion, this setup appears manipulated, perhaps even digitally enhanced akin to Photoshop, to confuse casual Marvel detectives. Here’s my interpretation. Taskmaster will be involved in the initial gathering of villains, where they meet Bob (Lewis Pullman), who is known as Sentry. This mission will serve as the catalyst for their realization that they were orchestrated. Consequently, they’ll search to uncover the one responsible for bringing them together, leading them to Valentina.

Instead of being killed off, it’s more likely that Taskmaster will choose not to participate any longer. Given her independent nature and Marvel’s usual preference for character development over random villain deaths, it seems probable that she’ll ride away, potentially reappearing in future Marvel projects as a thorn in the side of a hero yet to be determined by Kevin Feige. Unlike DC’s darker approach, such as in Suicide Squad, Marvel tends to favor keeping villains alive for storytelling purposes.

We’ll discover when the “Thunderbolts” movie begins the summer blockbuster season in 2025. It’s among three MCU films set for cinematic release, and all of the accompanying shows on Disney+ streaming service, providing Marvel fans with a variety of options to enjoy their favorite universe.

Read More

2024-11-12 21:09