Marvel’s First Thunderbolts* Footage Hints 1 Team Member May Still Be A Villain

The first footage of Thunderbolts* could reveal that one of the film's team members is still somewhat of a villain in the MCU. Thunderbolts* release date is currently set for May 2, 2025, as one of the four MCU movies expected in that year. The other projects on the list of upcoming Marvel movies for 2025 are Captain America: Brave New World, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Balde, though Thunderbolts* remains one of the more intriguing.

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The reason for this stems from the MCU characters assembled for Thunderbolts* cast. Not only does the team consist of franchise fan-favorites like Yelena Belova and Bucky Barnes, but it includes some incredibly compelling morally gray characters from the MCU's history like John Walker/U.S. Agent and Ava Starr/Ghost. However, the morally gray MCU team members of the Thunderbolts do not end there, with the first official footage of the film released by Marvel hinting that another may still be a villainous presence.

Thunderbolts* Footage Is Missing Valentina Allegra De Fontaine & Taskmaster

Two Thunderbolts Members May Have A Stronger Connection

In the footage released for Thunderbolts*, five of the confirmed members are shown standing in an elevator. As the doors slide open, Red Guardian, Ghost, Bucky, Yelena, and U.S. Agent are revealed. Interestingly, this shot is missing two of the Thunderbolts' team members: Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster. This could hint that the latter character will be acting as a pseudo-villain in Thunderbolts*, primarily due to the manipulation of the former.

In Black Widow, Taskmaster was introduced as a key spy and assassin for the villainous Red Room. After the mind control by her father was broken, she began to turn a new leaf, leading her into Thunderbolts*. However, Val has been shown to have previous connections with these team members before, notably John Walker and Yelena. It would make sense if Val, whose motivations in the MCU are still unclear, hired Antonia to be a spy and assassin for her before the events of Thunderbolts*.

Thunderbolts* is expected to continue Val's mysterious motives, and her tendency to pit people against one another, as she did with Yelena and Hawkeye and the CIA against Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Clearly, Val is working toward something, and she could use someone of Taskmaster's abilities to get it. It could be revealed that the five team members shown in the footage band together, only for Val to introduce Taskmaster as another member of the team - one more dedicated to Val via the latter's manipulation.

Taskmaster Being An Unknowing Pawn Of Val Makes Sense

Val Could Use Taskmaster's History To Bend The Assassin To Her Will

Based on what is known of Taskmaster's MCU history, it would make sense for her to become a pawn of Val. Prior to Black Widow, Taskmaster was exactly this to the Red Room: a pawn. After breaking free of that organization, Val could have appeared and turned on the manipulation, convincing Taskmaster that she could do some good by joining Val.

Given that Antonia had little in the way of family or friends after the Red Room, it is not illogical to assume she fell for Val's manipulation and began working for her. Similarly, Antonia could see working for Val in the CIA as a means of atoning for her past sins by working for a "good" organization rather than one that is corrupt, like the Red Room. Antonia's skills certainly would make her a good asset for Val, potentially giving the two a stronger foundation than the other characters in Thunderbolts*.

Taskmaster’s Thunderbolts* Redemption Could Improve Her Black Widow Character

Taskmaster Could Be Given A Much More Empathetic Character Arc In Thunderbolts*

If this theory about Val and Antonia is indeed true, the film has the beginnings of a strong character arc that would improve Taskmaster's Black Widow story in Thunderbolts*. Admittedly, this scenario would see Taskmaster being manipulated by a corrupt leader of an organization and turning against them to fight for herself, an almost replica of her story in Black Widow. However, this time it could be done with much more human emotion to make her a more compelling antihero in the MCU.

Black Widow rarely showcased Taskmaster without her mask, making her a Terminator-like villain for the majority of the movie. Without her mask, Antonia was not much different due to the mind control of the Red Room. She was shown as a cold, unemotive, robotic figure until the final moments of the film when her mind control was broken. Only then did Antonia begin showing emotion as she asked if her father was finally dead. That said, these moments were fleeting before the film ended, making her a difficult character to sympathize with.