Evidence continues to mount regarding a big Thunderbolts* spoiler that Marvel itself does not seem to care about hiding. The story of Marvel’s Thunderbolts* is expected to hit theaters in May 2025, meaning Marvel is leaning heavier into marketing the movie. After the trailers that were released in 2024, Marvel also marketed Thunderbolts* as one of the coveted trailers during 2025’s Super Bowl event, teasing what is to come from the film and how it will be mᴀssively different from the typical Avengers stories of the MCU.

Of the Marvel movies being released in 2025, Thunderbolts* is singular in that it focuses on morally gray characters. The team members for Thunderbolts* include the likes of Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, and John Walker, to name only a few, each of which has had some questionable moments in the MCU’s past. Another of the team members has also had a rocky history in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but instead of redemption, more evidence has been provided via the Thunderbolts* Super Bowl trailer that they will be the subject of a spoiler that Marvel does not seem to care about hiding.

The Super Bowl Trailer For Thunderbolts* Seemingly Confirms A Dark Theory About Taskmaster

Taskmaster May Meet A Grim Fate

The Thunderbolts* character in question is Taskmaster, and the spoiler is that she is seemingly likely to die early in the film. This has been a theory that many have subscribed to since the earliest days of Thunderbolts* marketing, but the Super Bowl trailer adds even more evidence. In both major trailers released for Thunderbolts* thus far, Taskmaster is only seen in one or two scenes. The Super Bowl trailer makes this even more evident, with most of the biggest scenes in the over 2-minute tease not featuring the character at all.

From the scene in which Bucky recruits the other members of the team to the scenes with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in what was once Avengers Tower in Thunderbolts*, Taskmaster is nowhere to be seen. One of the only major scenes that definitely features Taskmaster is the fight sequence between the тιтular team’s members when they first come together. Beyond that, shockingly little of Taskmaster’s role in the film has been divulged.

Given that it is a studio with a history of changing trailers to hide surprises, Marvel Studios is seemingly not bothering to hide the fact that Taskmaster may meet an untimely fate. For example, a scene that has not yet been shown of Taskmaster could have been included in the Big Game trailer as a means of throwing audiences off the scent. However, the lack of Taskmaster scenes that show her around the other major characters of Thunderbolts* may indicate she dies early in the story.

Taskmaster Dying Early In Thunderbolts* Is Sad, But Makes Sense

Taskmaster Is The Team’s Most Divisive Member

If this theory is correct and Taskmaster does indeed die early in Thunderbolts*, it would be an unfortunately logical choice. The unfortunate part comes from the fact that it would have been nice to see Taskmaster face some kind of redemption after her actions as a brainwashed ᴀssᴀssin for the Red Room, as highlighted in Black Widow‘s ending. Concerning the logical part, however, Taskmaster makes the most sense to kill off, if any character who was confirmed as part of the Thunderbolts* cast is to meet an early end.

The reason for this was the negative reception the character received upon her debut in Black Widow. Not only was she a one-note villain with little personality, but the differences between her and her comic book counterpart were stark. These reasons, as well as the unclarity of how Taskmaster would fit into the witty banter vibe of the Thunderbolts*, mean her death makes more sense than that of any other character. Finally, Taskmaster’s death removes a character that only “punches and shoots,” as Yelena puts it, which has been a criticism of the Thunderbolts* roster since its announcement.

How Taskmaster’s Death Could Actually Make Thunderbolts* A Better Movie (& The Super Bowl Trailer Proves It)

Stakes Will Be Established

Another talking point of the Super Bowl trailer for Thunderbolts* is the teases at the film’s villain. The character of Bob in Thunderbolts* is also known as Robert Reynolds in Marvel Comics, an incredibly powerful superhero who goes by the alias Sentry. Sentry, though, has a dark side named The Void, which is teased at length in the Big Game trailer for Thunderbolts*. If Taskmaster does indeed die at the beginning of Thunderbolts*, it would make the film a better story thanks to how it could tie to Bob/Sentry/The Void.

If Sentry’s dark side is unleashed early in the movie and it kills Taskmaster, this would be a great way of establishing hefty narrative stakes. Killing off a character that has been dubbed a member of the team would be shocking, not to mention bold. Moreover, this would give the other remaining members of the Thunderbolts a strong reason for coming together to stop The Void. If Marvel is pushing Taskmaster’s early Thunderbolts* death into plain sight, it could make sense as a way to remove a lesser-beloved character while establishing a sense of narrative weight.