The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Spoilers for Thunderbolts* (also marketed as The New Avengers). Taskmaster—Antonia Dreykov, played by Olga Kurylenko—dies early in the released film. But she was not always headed for that brief a part: screenwriter Eric Pearson said she survived in his final draft and had a substantial subplot. The richer version described in a separate leak remains unverified, so it is worth distinguishing what the screenwriter account supports from what is only alleged.
What happens to Taskmaster in the released film?
Taskmaster is among the antiheroes assembled in Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, directed by Jake Schreier and produced by Kevin Feige. In the released story, she dies early during the fight in Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s vault. BGR reports that Ghost kills her there; in that account, the abrupt death also signals that the mercenaries in the vault are expendable. BGR’s account describes the released-film sequence and the reported alternate role.
Was Taskmaster supposed to survive?
Yes—in screenwriter Eric Pearson’s final draft, according to GamesRadar’s report. Pearson said Taskmaster had a substantial subplot and survived that version. GamesRadar also reports that he only discovered the character had been cut when he watched an early cut of the film. This is stronger support for a changed role than an anonymous online leak, but it does not verify every beat attributed to the earlier story.
GamesRadar separately reports that Schreier said Taskmaster’s death was intended to create shock or surprise. That explains a dramatic purpose for the released choice; it does not establish that the earlier subplot was removed for any particular production reason.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- 6-INCH-SCALE COLLECTIBLE TASKMASTER FIGURE: Fans, collectors, and kids alike can enjoy this 6-inch-scale Taskmaster figure, inspired by the character from Marvel's Black Widow movie.
- MARVEL MOVIE-INSPIRED DESIGN: Taskmaster figure with premium design, detail, and articulation for high poseability and display in a Marvel collection. Inspired by Marvel's Black Widow movie.
- PREMIUM ARTICULATION AND DETAILING: This quality 6-inch Legends Series Taskmaster figure features multiple points of articulation and is a great addition to any action figure collection.
- MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE IN 6-INCH SCALE: Look for other Hasbro Marvel Legends Series figures (each sold separately) with movie-inspired characters, including Black Widow. (Additional figures each sold separately. Subject to availability. )
What was Taskmaster’s earlier arc reportedly about?
The screenwriter account
Pearson’s final draft reportedly gave Taskmaster a larger story that included bonding with Ghost and comedy around memory loss. That outline offers a clearer sense of her potential function in the group: not just another fighter, but a character whose history could connect her to a teammate and shape how she participated in the escape and the team’s dynamic.
The unverified leak details
BGR also recounts an alternate version attributed to online leaker MyTimeToShineHello. In that account, Antonia’s memory problems follow a childhood brain injury; she and Ghost bond over their pasts; she helps the team escape the vault; she fights Bucky Barnes and Bob; and a running Skittles joke features in her scenes. These are leak claims, not verified script facts. Pearson’s reported comments corroborate the broad points that Taskmaster survived and had a Ghost-related subplot involving memory-loss comedy, but not those specific plot mechanics or jokes.
Rank #2
- Based on the upcoming action film
- Stands approximately 7" tall
- Multiple accessories
- 16 points of articulation
- Display-ready Select action figure packaging
How the two versions change her role
| Story element | Released film | Earlier version, as reported |
|---|---|---|
| Agency and presence | She dies early in the vault fight, according to BGR’s plot account. | Pearson’s final draft reportedly kept her alive with a substantial subplot. BGR’s leak account adds that she helps the team escape; that detail is unverified. |
| Connection with Ghost | The reported released-film account ends their interaction in the vault fight with Ghost killing Taskmaster. | GamesRadar reports that Pearson’s draft included the pair bonding. The leak adds that they connect over their pasts, but that framing is not independently corroborated. |
| Memory problems | The cited account does not establish a developed memory-loss subplot in the released film. | GamesRadar reports memory-loss comedy in Pearson’s draft. The leak attributes the problems to a childhood brain injury; that cause is unverified. |
| Effect on team stakes | BGR interprets her death as a signal that the vault’s mercenaries are expendable. | Survival would have left room for her to contribute beyond the vault fight. A later New Avengers role appears in BGR’s leak account, not in the corroborated screenwriter account. |
| How firmly it is supported | BGR reports the death in the released film. | Pearson’s surviving-character and subplot account is reported by GamesRadar; the more granular alternate plot is attributed to an online leaker by BGR and remains unverified. |
Would the earlier arc have been better?
That is a judgment, not an established fact. The reported draft suggests a different dramatic opportunity: giving Antonia more agency, letting her build a relationship with Ghost, and using memory problems for character comedy rather than ending her story in the vault. Those elements could have made her presence more consequential and left room for her to remain part of the team. The released death, by contrast, serves the shock Schreier reportedly intended and signals the danger of the vault sequence. Which choice works better depends on whether a viewer values that immediate shock or the longer character development the earlier version could have offered.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- BEND! FLEX! Epic fun with twists and turns! This 6-inch Bend and Flex Taskmaster figure has bendable arms and legs that can be twisted and flexed into tons of imaginative poses!
- PICK YOUR POSE: Hold that powerful pose! Each bendable figure also includes an accessory to enhance the figure in that perfect pose.
- CLASSIC MARVEL DESIGN: Imagine the Avengers joining the fight against this Taskmaster figure, with classic design inspired by the Marvel Universe.
- COLLECT OTHER BEND AND FLEX FIGURES: Collect other Avengers Bend and Flex figures for flex-tastic fun! Additional figures sold separately. Subject to availability.
Rank #4
- Comic-inspired design
- Includes Red Skull Build-A-Figure piece
- Collect other Marvel Legends Infinite Series figures (each sold separately)
- Action figure size: 6 inches
- Includes figure, 4 accessories, and Build-A-Figure piece.
Rank #3
- Comic-inspired design
- Premium articulation and detailing
- Character-inspired accessories
- Collect other Marvel Legends Series figures (each sold separately)
- Includes: figure, 3 accessories, and Build-a-Figure part. Ages 4 and up
What can be said with confidence
- Taskmaster is Antonia Dreykov, played by Olga Kurylenko, and she dies early in the released film.
- GamesRadar reports that Pearson’s final draft let her survive and gave her a substantial subplot involving Ghost and memory-loss comedy.
- The childhood-injury explanation, specific escape and fight beats, Skittles joke, and later team role come from the leak account BGR describes; they should not be treated as confirmed script history.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
