While Thunderbolts* didn’t impress at the box office last year, it was well received by critics and the public overall, with our own Eric Eisenberg giving the movie 3.5 out 5 stars in his Thunderbolts* review. However, one creative decision that didn’t sit well with many fans was killing off Taskmaster so quickly despite her being advertised as one of Thunderbolts*’ leading protagonists. Now the character’s actress, Olga Kurylenko, has responded to those fans who’ve been demanding justice for Taskmaster.

We didn’t get to spend much time with Taskmaster, a.k.a. Antonia Dreykov in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as she’d only previously appeared in Black Widow as a brainwashed tool of her father. Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier has previously said that taking Taskmaster off the board in just her first scene was “not something we did lightly,” and Kurylenko had this to say to ComicBookMovie about the fans who were displeased about the character’s ultimate fate:

Because the MCU adapted Taskmaster into a brand-new character rather than use Tony Masters from the comics, the sky was the limit on where Antonia Dreykov could have gone in the superhero franchise post-Black Widow. Instead, Ava Starr, a.k.a. Ghost, shot her in the head right after her arrival at the facility where John Walker and Yelena Belova had also been lured, and where Bob, a.k.a. Sentry, was being held. Antonia died before learning about how they had all been set up by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and she wasn’t really acknowledged for the rest of Thunderbolts*.

Last July, Olga Kurylenko shared originally Taskmaster was supposed to survive until the end of the movie. However, the Thunderbolts* script overhauled after the 2023 writers strike, resulting in Taskmaster’s quick elimination instead. So while her time in the MCU is over barring a surprise resurrection, Kurylenko is grateful for the fan support for Taskmaster and has even been in contact with the person who started #JusticeForTaskmaster:

It’s unfortunate that Taskmaster was killed off mere moments after being introduced in Thunderbolts*, especially considering that the team evolved into the New Avengers in the movie’s final moments. So had that previous Thunderbolts* script been used, we could have seen Antonia take part in Avengers: Doomsday at the end of this year. Alas, it wasn’t to be, but at least Olga Kurylenko is well aware of all the people who wish her character’s fate would have been handled differently.

You’re welcome to revisit Kurylenko’s short time in the MCU by streaming Black Widow and/or Thunderbolts* with your Disney+ subscription. Otherwise, catch the return of the New Avengers when Avengers: Doomsday arrives to the 2026 movies schedule on December 18.

SPOILERS are ahead for Thunderbolts*.

While Thunderbolts* is already going down in history as one of the best new Marvel movies in recent years, a lot of fans have been talking about one twist that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. After Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster was marketed to be part of the movie’s core team, she was killed off in the first scene we saw her in. Now, director Jake Schreier has shared his take on her fate in the film.

During a new interview, the Thunderbolts* director was asked about if there was ever a version of the movie where Taskmaster stuck around longer than she does in the final version. Here’s how he responded to Variety:

Yes, Kurylenko previously shared earlier this month that in a previous version of the Thunderbolts* script, Taskmaster was there through to the end, along with noting that “it’s a pity” that the character had to meet her end so soon in the 2025 movie release. Schreier is very aware that some fans were not happy about the choice, especially considering, as CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes has pointed out, there was “ultimately no stakes behind her death.”

It's perhaps even more of a sad twist because Thunderbolts* ended up being named the New Avengers at the end of the movie, and are set to join the main superhero team in the upcoming Avengers films. As the director continued to Variety:

While revising the script, Jake Schreier noted that they felt like someone needed to die given each of them are contract killers, and the decision was made for it to be Taskmaster. It was a twist that some people saw coming after the Thunderbolts* Super Bowl trailer and after she was left out of some toy product lines. The director also said this:

Clearly it wasn’t an easy decision to make for Jake Schreier, but the filmmaker has to stand by it. It sadly means Taskmaster won’t be part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast alongside the other cast members from Thunderbolts*, but we are in the Multiverse Saga, so it’s always possible another version of the character could pop up – though it does feel unlikely.

Following the release of Thunderbolts* in May, the next Marvel movie is here this weekend with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Jake Schreier has also been tapped to direct MCU’s first X-Men movie.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe constantly puts out new content for fans, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One recent movie title is Thunderbolts*, which performed well at the box office upon its release. The movie shockingly killed off Olga Kurylenko's Taskmaster early on, but the actress recently revealed that she originally made it way further into the movie's runtime. Let's break it down.

The Thunderbolts* cast list was full of villains and antiheroes, making it one of the biggest crossovers in recent memory. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will remember three of them originated from Black Widow: Yelena, Red Guardian, and Taskmaster. In a translated interview (via ComicBook), Kurylenko spoke about original plans for the blockbuster, offering:

Well, I've got FOMO. Taskmaster was the only member of the team who got killed off throughout Thunderbolts* runtime, and she only got one line of dialogue before Ghost put her down. And now I'm curious about how the character would have functioned in the larger story if she was allowed to stick around. I mean, her history with Yelena alone would be interesting to see played out.

It definitely seems like Olga Kurylenko got the short end of the stick in this equation. On top of her role being reduced to basically a cameo, the rest of the team is already set to return for upcoming Marvel movies. The Thunderbolts aka the New Avengers have already been confirmed in Avengers: Doomsday's cast announcement, so they'll get to crossover with other teams of heroes like the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four. Their collision with the latter team was teased in the Thunderbolts* credits scene, so it seems that everyone but Taskmaster has a bright future in the shared universe.

Fans put together that Taskmaster might be in trouble long before the blockbuster actually hit theaters back in May. She was noticeably missing from most footage from the Thunderbolts* trailers, as well as any group images of the team together. But the fact that she was originally going to be in the whole movie before re-writes happened is definitely a bummer for both the actress and fans of the character.

Thunderbolts* is available to purchased and re-watched digitally now. The next MCU blockbuster hitting theaters is The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25th as part of the 2025 movie release list. Unfortunately Taskmaster seemingly won't return to the franchise anytime soon.

Spoilers ahead for Thunderbolts*.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand regularly, thanks to new content hitting theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The most recent MCU movie to hit theaters is Thunderbolts*, which performed well at the box office. There's been discourse surrounding Taskmaster's early death, and a photo from the set disproved a fan theory about the character.

The cast list of Thunderbolts* was chock full of antiheroes from previous projects, which made it doubly exciting for those us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order. Taskmaster was shot and killed by Ghost early on, and some fans thought that actress Olga Kurylenko wasn't actually on set with the rest of the cast. After all, the Black Widow villain was masked except for one brief line of dialogue. But stunwoman Aurélia Agel posted on Instagram about her time doubling for Kurylenko, including a photo of them together. Check it out below:

Well, I guess it's safe to say that Olga Kurylenko was indeed on set for Thunderbolts*, rather than her face simply being added to Taskmaster's body. Whether or not the movie handled the character properly is still up for debate, but the idea that the 45 year-old actress/model wasn't really on the main set has seemingly been debunked.

While Taskmaster was announced as part of the movie's cast, the Thunderbolts* trailers didn't feature much footage of the character. And when she wasn't featured in the main marketing campaign alongside the rest of the cast, fans put together that she was probably going to die. But it happening to unceremoniously early in the movie's runtime was still a shock.

One has to wonder how Kurylenko feels about Taskmaster's death. She only had a brief role in Thunderbolts*, and the rest of the cast has already be confirmed for upcoming Marvel movies. The team was featured on Marvel's Doomsday cast announcement live stream, revealing that they'll be in on the Russo Brothers' ensemble movie alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the X-Men, and The Fantastic Four. So Taskmaster really got the short end of the stick.

The Thunderbolts* post-credits scene teased the arrival of the Fantastic Four, so it looks like that team aka the New Avengers will be meeting that foursome of heroes early on in Doomsday. It should be fascinating to see how all of these characters interact, especially if they're forced to work together against a common enemy like Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

Thunderbolts* is still in theaters now and will be followed by Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25th as part of the 2025 movie release list. And these two teams will finally meet up in Avengers: Doomsday on May 1st, 2026.

Warning: minor SPOILERS for Thunderbolts* are ahead!

We’re a week out from Thunderbolts* moving from the upcoming Marvel movies slate to one of the offerings on the 2025 movies schedule. Following three months after Captain America: Brave New World, the 36th MCU flick sees antiheroes/former villains like Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova and John Walker joining forces after they’re caught up in a scheme orchestrated by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. A new clip has been released showing the team facing down the CIA director, and after watching it, I now have a different theory about what’s going to happen to Taskmaster, one of the Thunderbolts* protagonists.

Fontaine has been making moves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since Julia Louis-Dreyfus debuted as the character in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Two and a half years after she was last seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, we’re finally going to learn about Val’s origins and what she’s been plotting, though the Thunderbolts are ready to stop her, as you’ll see below:

Ok, this is pretty straightforward. The five protagonists confront Valentina at what was once Avengers Tower and she lobs some insults at them. Hang on, five protagonists? Yes, Bucky, Yelena, Walker, Red Guardian and Ghost are accounted for, but where’s Taskmaster? Here’s where things get even weirder. Check out this frame from the first Thunderbolts* trailer:

Here we see Taskmaster with the others at Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s new digs, so then where is she in the clip? Before I share my theory, I need to point out that many, including myself, believe that Taskmaster is going to be killed off in Thunderbolts*. Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov, who was introduced in Black Widow, is not getting nearly the same amount of coverage in marketing as her cohorts, leading the suspicion that she’ll get the same treatment that Slipknot did in Suicide Squad.

I still believe this is going to happen, but after watching that Thunderbolts* clip, I don’t think it’s going to happen in the way I originally envisioned. Before today, I’d thought that Taskmaster would meet her demise when Lewis Pullman’s Bob is taken over by his Void personality and starts wreaking havoc at what’s now known as Watchtower. Instead, I think her death will come earlier in the movie, either shortly before Void surfaces or long before the team gets up in Valentina’s business.

With the former option, maybe there’s some kind of trap set at Watchtower that kills Taskmaster, but doesn’t seem likely to me. The latter is looking much more promising. I think the character was digitally inserted into that frame from the Thunderbolts* trailer, and that we won’t see her at all in that scene. Instead, Taskmaster will die way earlier in the movie, perhaps even right after these starring characters meet one another. Maybe her demise will push the others to start working together to figure out what’s going on. Whether that’s accurate or a different set of events will unfold, this clip certainly doesn’t strengthens the thought that Taskmaster isn’t long for this world.

All will be revealed when Thunderbolts* opens in theaters on May 2. After that, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will follow as the third and final MCU movie of 2025, hitting the big screen on July 25.

Following the release of Captain America: Brave New World on Friday, Thunderbolts* is next on the upcoming Marvel movies slate, arriving in early May. The first trailer was released in September, and this past weekend, MCU fans were treated to the Thunderbolts* Super Bowl trailer. While arguably the biggest draw for this preview was the strong hints towards Sentry being the main villain, having viewed both trailers several times now, I’m pretty confident I know which member from the title team is going to be killed off and roughly when this will happen.

The Thunderbolts lineup in the 36th of the Marvel movies in order consists of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker/U.S. Agent, David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Hannah Jonh-Kamen’s Ava Starr/Ghost and Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster, with Julia Louis Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and Lewis Pullman’s Bob also playing important roles in the movie. I’m here to talk about Taskmaster, who’s returning following her debut appearance in 2021's Black Widow (which can be watched with a Disney+ subscription if you need a refresher on the character’s backstory). Sadly, I’m thinking she’s shuffling off this mortal coil in Thunderbolts*.

Why I Think Taskmaster Will Die In Thunderbolts*

Taskmaster is the Thunderbolts* protagonist who’s gotten the least amount of attention in this early marketing, and I’m almost 100% positive it’s because we won’t be seeing her for that long. Here’s my reasoning: we know that after some of these characters' paths cross in a pretty chaotic way complete with bullets, alarms and punches being thrown, the entire group will head over what had once been Avengers Tower, but now belongs to Valentina (presumably she purchased Tony Stark's former headquarters for Earth's Mightiest Heroes sometime after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever):

However, this is one of the few shots where Taskmaster is seen among her other teammates, with most of the other team footage in these previews involving the other five characters. This is reminding me of how Adam Beach’s Slipknot was barely shown in previews for the 2016 DCEU movie Suicide Squad. Because, as it turned out, the character was killed at the beginning of the mission when he tried to make a run for it and Rick Flag Jr. detonated the nanite bomb in his head to prove to the other Task Force X recruits that getting out of line comes with lethal consequences. Granted, I think Taskmaster will have more to do in Thunderbolts* than Slipknot did in Suicide Squad, but my point still stands.

I’m by no means the first to think that Taskmaster will bite the dust in Thunderbolts*. This has been speculated among fans for months, although my colleague Sean O’Connell made his case last November for why he thinks this is a misdirect. However, following that Super Bowl trailer, I think the writing is definitely more clearly on the wall that she’s going to die.

How I Think Taskmaster Will Die In Thunderbolts*

As I mentioned earlier, while Marvel Studios hasn’t outright confirmed this, it’s looking pretty obvious Sentry will be Thunderbolts*’ main antagonist. Like in the comics, it appears that Lewis Pullman’s version of Bob has a darker half called The Void, and it’s this antagonist who appears to be responsible for the attack on Not-Avengers Tower that we see in the Super Bowl trailer. I’ll remind you all reading, Taskmaster shows up with the other team members to meet with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (whom will learn a lot more about), but while Yelena, Bucky, John, Alexei and Ava walk out of this assault intact, albeit worse for wear, Antonia is nowhere to be seen, as the below image shows:

I can’t say I know exactly how she’ll be killed in Thunderbolts*, but it’s easy to infer that Taskmaster will perish when The Void is wreaking havoc on that building. However, since she basically functioned as more of a living weapon in Black Widow than an actual character, and presumably her limited screen time in this movie won’t allow her to be effectively fleshed out into someone compelling and three-dimensional, I don’t think I’ll feel any great sense of loss when she’s killed off… sorry, if she’s killed off.

Maybe if she’d appeared in more movies or one of the MCU’s TV shows, I’d feel differently. Unfortunately, that emotional connection just isn't there, even taking into account Antonia's tragic backstory. As it stands, it looks as though her death would be/will be the catalyst that gets the surviving protagonists to finally start working together as a team, just like what happened with Phil Coulson in The Avengers.

Frankly, I wish this wasn’t the case. While I was initially dissatisfied after seeing Black Widow that Taskmaster had been so heavily altered from the character in the comics, I was nonetheless curious to see how Antonia Dreykov would stand out from the Tony Masters version, as the only real similarities between the two are their muscle memory ability and skull-looking masks. Alas, it doesn’t look like that’ll be the case, though I’d like to be proven wrong. Maybe Sean is right and Antonia will just refuse whatever deal Valentina offers and leave before Bob/Sentry/The Void shows up, but I’m extremely skeptical about that.

We’ll find out if my theory is correct when Thunderbolts* is released on May 2. Other notable cast members in the movie include Laurence Fishburne’s Bill Foster, Rachel Weisz’s Melina Vostokoff and Geraldine Viswanathan’s Mel, as well as Wendell Pierce and Chris Bauer in undisclosed roles. Jake Schreier directed the picture, and Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo all worked on the script. Meanwhile, read CinemaBlend’s Captain America: Brave New World review and find out what other critics are saying about this weekend’s Marvel release.

If there’s one factor you can count on being a prominent portion to any James Bond movies, it has to be the stunts. For Daniel Craig, the most recent era of 007 adventure meant a lot of scrapes with injury and extreme exercise regimens to keep the good Commander in fighting shape. But looking back on the time that Quantum of Solace star Olga Kurylenko told us about the advice she’d gotten from a stunt coordinator on that film, I appreciate the effort and intensity that goes into making a 007 movie even more.

When CinemaBlend previously spoke to Kurylenko about her experiences in preparing to play revenge seeker Camille, the action hero was given a piece of advice for which most professionals could identify. No matter what your skill or trade, what Olga Kurylenko told us below is probably going to resonate with you:

I have to tip my hat to Quantum of Solace’s stunt coordinator Gary Powell and his team, because not only did Ms. Kurylenko truly kick ass in this underrated James Bond adventure, but those skills served her quite well in her future endeavors. Even as her role of Taskmaster required several Black Widow stunt doubles, you can see that Olga Kurylenko’s poise in the scenes where she’s present is that of a fighter.

Not to mention, the Max Payne star’s resume throughout the years has included even more opportunities for combat. Thanks to films such as The Courier, Extraction 2 and, of course, through her role in the upcoming Marvel movie Thunderbolts*, Kurylenko has become an action genre mainstay over the years. That's a happy fact to reflect on when you consider how a Quantum of Solace stunt almost killed Olga Kurylenko on the day.

I was able to hear that story for myself when I’d interviewed her on behalf of the Shudder The Room, and now that I’ve encountered this further anecdote, it shows just how much she trusted the professionals that advised her on keeping battle ready. Sometimes it’s not a question of how high you can kick, but how hard you can hang on. It’s just as important to know when to use those skills as it is to execute them.

Coming up around the same time Gal Gadot was almost cast as a Bond Girl, Olga Kurylenko certainly feels like a talent that can do a stunt on the spot if you asked her to. Provided she had the right time to train for it, of course. It’s good to know that the pro tips given to her during that production almost 20 years ago have still served her well, with more than enough evidence to prove that point rather well.

With that knowledge in mind, you can revisit Quantum of Solace on streaming thanks to the usage of a Prime Video subscription. If you’re still gearing up for Thunderbolts*, you still have a wait to get shaken and stirred in MCU fashion, as that adventure is set to debut theatrically on April 30, 2025.

Among a long list of upcoming Marvel movies for moviegoers to get excited about is Thunderbolts*, which is currently filming ahead of its release a year from now. Amidst one recent update for the superhero movie’s title, which had Marvel Studios adding a sneaky asterisk at the end of it, one of the Thunderbolts* cast members have responded to the update. However, it doesn’t exactly have me feeling any sense of clarity on what the heck is happening with this movie.

During Walt Disney’s 2024 CinemaCon panel last month, which CinemaBlend was in attendance for, Marvel boss Kevin Feige came on stage to announce that Thunderbolts was now Thunderbolts*. What’s up with that?

What Was Olga Kurylenko’s Response To Thunderbolts’ New Title? 

When ScreenRant recently spoke to the actress behind Taskmaster, Olga Kurylenko, she shared her response to the asterisk, saying:

As per usual, Marvel actors are sworn to secrecy, so this doesn’t necessarily clear anything up. It actually has me more confused and honestly baffled about what’s going on with this movie. We’re just supposed to guess and wonder about why Thunderbolts is now Thunderbolts*? I must say, what specifically sticks out to me about Kurylenko’s comments is her pointing out about the changes that have taken place to the movie over time. Because she’s right, the production has been through the ringer! More on that later.

What Has Marvel’s Boss Said About The Thunderbolts Asterisk? 

So far, the only other comment we have heard about the title change has come from Kevin Feige as he was announcing the new title at CinemaCon. Here’s what he said as he also unveiled a new logo for the movie:

How mysterious! He makes it sounds like there’s something to decipher about the asterisk, but I can’t imagine how a single symbol would be in spoiler territory. The symbol is usually placed at the end of a word when there’s a footnote at the bottom of a page. With that in mind, one is to assume that there’s more to the Thunderbolts than meets the eye. But what is it?

What Other Changes Have Gone On Behind The Scenes Of Thunderbolts?  

Before I leave you to make your own theory walls, let’s talk a little bit about the changes that come up for Thunderbolts* aside from the title. For one, two key actors in the movie dropped out ahead of production. First, Steven Yeun left the production in January and noted the movie's “shifting” schedule pulled him out of it. He shared he was still interested in doing a Marvel movie at some point. Additionally, The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri left the project as well due to scheduling, and Geraldine Viswanathan has replaced her.

If anything, one can sleep soundly knowing that our questions will hopefully be answered once Thunderbolts* heads to theaters on May 5, 2025.

Superhero movies have been a constant in the world of modern Hollywood, and the genre reached its peak popularity with the explosion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With such a storied history, there are obviously going to be stories of actors who didn’t make the cut. But believe us when we tell you the actors on this list who almost played major superhero roles are quite the collection of characters.

Burt Reynolds - Superman - Superman (1977)

A bunch of big name actors turned down the role of Clark Kent/Superman when it came time to make 1977’s Superman feature film. Among those who skipped this early era of cape action is the legendary Burt Reynolds. The decision seemed to work out in the end, as that same year saw Smokey and the Bandit become one of his most iconic hits.

Demi Moore - Supergirl - Supergirl (1984)

Early in her career, Demi Moore had a chance to become a part of the Superman franchise. She auditioned alongside Brooke Shields for the lead in Supergirl, though Helen Slater would eventually win the part. Moore then almost played the supporting role of Lucy Lane but passed, as she was about to go from being on General Hospital to starring in the Brat Pack era of films, including About Last Night…

Pierce Brosnan - Batman - Batman (1989)

There are quite a few actors that have done the dance of fate with both superhero movies and the James Bond movies. One of the most surprising, besides Burt Reynolds turning down 007, was Pierce Brosnan testing for Tim Burton’s Batman. Brosnan admitted he blew it, especially since he criticized the wardrobe choices of Bruce Wayne’s darker alter-ego.

Annette Bening - Catwoman - Batman Returns (1992)

Annette Bening was almost Catwoman, believe it or not. The original choice for that role in Batman Returns, Bening seemed set to be a part of the film. That is until the actress found out she was pregnant and had to bow out of the part. It’s ok though, as Burton found a more than willing successor in Michelle Pfieffer, who practically signed on after reading half of the script. 

Marlon Wayans - Robin - Batman Returns (1992)

Marlon Wayans is the Bobby Bonilla of the superhero movie world. Just as Bobby continues to be paid not to play for the Mets, Wayans still gets royalties for not playing Robin in Batman Returns. Due to the roster of characters in Tim Burton’s 1992 sequel being trimmed, Wayans never took flight as the hero.

Dougray Scott - Wolverine - X-Men (2000)

Out of the 13 actors that almost played Wolverine in X-Men, Dougray Scott was the one that got the closest. Scott was actually cast in the iconic pre-MCU film and was so close to getting to pop those Adamantium claws. If he hadn’t suffered injuries and scheduling conflicts from the tail end of Mission: Impossible II, we would've seen different Logan in action. 

Rachel Leigh Cook - Rogue - X-Men (2000)

Brace yourself for a weird loop of coincidence. She’s All That star Rachel Leigh Cook turned down the role of Rogue in 2000’s X-Men. Who did the role end up going to? Academy Award winner Anna Paquin… the actor who gave Cook's character that memorable makeover in the aforementioned teen comedy. Maybe Paquin has some mutant career powers that nobody’s ever noticed before. As for Cook, she eventually admitted that she totally blew it by passing on this classic adventure.

Leonardo DiCaprio - Spider-Man - Spider-Man (2002)

James Cameron’s unmade Spider-Man movie would have gone in some wild directions. Perhaps what fans discuss most is the fact that if he were to have made the movie, Leonardo DiCaprio would have been his Peter Parker! While that’s not the most shocking aspect, especially if you’ve actually read the script, it’s certainly something that feels pretty interesting considering where Cameron and DiCaprio’s careers would go after that point. 

Kate Winslet - Elektra - Daredevil (2003)

There was a wide net cast when looking to fill the role of Elektra in 2003’s Daredevil. Lucy Liu, Salma Hayek and even Katie Holmes were all considered; as was Titanic alum Kate Winslet. Considering her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio almost played Spider-Man for James Cameron, could Winslet have also been considered for Mary Jane Watson had that movie gotten off the ground? 

Ashley Judd - Catwoman - Catwoman (2004)

Development hell can wreck a movie before it ever shoots a single frame. Michelle Pfieffer's intended Catwoman spinoff, for example, eventually mutated into a standalone film. And somewhere in-between Pfieffer’s variant being iced and Halle Berry’s infamous final product being made, Ashley Judd was meant to play the character in the early aughts. According to the Daily Haggis, Judd dropped out in favor of a stage play; which was probably the better move.

Cillian Murphy - Batman - Batman Begins (2005)

Beginning his stint as one of the actors in the most Christopher Nolan movies, Cillian Murphy played Scarecrow in Batman Begins and was a menacing presence to behold. And yet, the Irish actor initially tried out for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman; going as far as doing screen tests in and out of the Batsuit. While it was admitted that he wasn’t a good fit for the lead role, Nolan did use Murphy’s audition to cast him as Dr. Jonathan Crane; and the rest was history.

Tom Cruise - Iron Man - Iron Man (2008)

You knew this was coming. When the MCU fired up its arc reactor in 2008, Robert Downey Jr. was there front and center to make Iron Man a mega hit. Of course, the studio needed to be convinced that Downey was the way to go, as there were powers that be who wanted the Mission: Impossible daredevil as the lead. Cruise turned down the part, while at the same time the Tony Stark we knew and loved had enough people in his corner to make it happen. 

Emily Blunt - Black Widow - Iron Man 2 (2010)

It’s time to revisit one of the cruelest villains ever: contractual obligations! Back when Iron Man 2 was getting into gear, the then up-and-coming Emily Blunt was offered the role of Natalie Rushman… who was eventually revealed to be Natasha Romanova, the Black Widow. Unfortunately, this was the first of Blunt’s two Marvel passes; with this part going to Scarlett Johansson after Emily had to fulfill her obligation to star in 2010’s Gulliver’s Travels. 

Daniel Craig - Baldur The Brave - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

The worlds of James Bond and superhero culture have collided before, thanks to Daniel Craig’s rumored Thor casting being debunked. What isn’t as sketchy is the claim that Craig almost played Baldur the Brave in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And if you need anyone to further firm up this claim, just ask Elizabeth Olsen, who actually saw Craig’s costume after it was designed.

Joe Jonas - Spider-Man - The Amazing Spider-Man (2011)

One of the greatest heartbreaks in Joe Jonas’ career as an actor is still that time he almost landed the lead role in The Amazing Spider-Man. Jonas recalled his Marvel auditions as well as the tragic turn the situation took when Andrew Garfield landed the role, and it’s hard not to feel for the dude. Then again, Jonas may have dodged a bullet, considering where that series went.

John Krasinski - Captain America - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

One of the hot prospects for the casting of Captain America was appropriately a man who’s clearly cut out for the role of an American boy scout -- John Krasinski. Though The Office star failed to secure the bag as Steve Rogers, he did go on to play the similarly patriotic lead of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Oh yeah… and he was a Multiversal Reed Richards in Doctor Strange 2 as well. 

Morena Baccarin - Maria Hill - The Avengers (2012)

Joss Whedon sure does have a deep bench of talent he loves to pull from. Firefly alum Morena Baccarin knows that fact, as she auditioned for The Avengers to play the role of Maria Hill. Though she stayed in the extended MCU family through Deadpool, Baccarin admitted she tanked the audition because she didn’t get Hill’s character on the page.

Jamie Dornan - Superman - Man of Steel (2013)

Mr. Kent will see you now. If history shook out a bit differently, maybe Henry Cavill would've played the lead in Fifty Shades of Grey, and Jamie Dornan would have been the Man of Steel lead that kicked off the DC Extended Universe. But that’s not the multiverse we live in, as we’re now wondering if these two will be competing for another massive pop culture role: that of James Bond.

Amanda Seyfried - Gamora - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

If it wasn’t for Amanda Seyfried questioning whether or not Guardians of the Galaxy would be the first Marvel movie to bomb, she might have accepted the role of Gamora. However, it’s those doubts that kept her out of James Gunn’s 2014 blockbuster; a fact that Seyfried admits she was “very wrong” about.

Glenn Howerton - Star-Lord - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

It’s more than an implication that It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Glenn Howerton was almost cast as Star-Lord. It’s been pretty much confirmed by James Gunn that Howerton would have been his next choice, had Chris Pratt not signed on. The only thing more interesting is how “the Golden God” himself wasn’t considered to play Adam Warlock.

Lindsay Lohan - Scarlet Witch - Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

Back in the days of her docu-series Lindsay, this Mouse House graduate thought her manager cost her a role in an Avengers movie. Well, if the timing of that 2014 project was any indication, the whispers of Lindsay Lohan being up for the part of Scarlet Witch just may have been true. 

Olga Kurylenko - Wonder Woman - Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

If there are two stars that need to be interviewed together about their careers, it’s Gal Gadot and Olga Kurylenko. Apparently, they both competed for lead roles in Quantum of Solace and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice; with Kurylenko ultimately getting the Bond experience and Gadot snagging the Lasso of Truth.

Asa Butterfield - Spider-Man - Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Remember that time the world was convinced Asa Butterfield was the new Spider-Man? It happened, and the Sex Education lead apparently did test for the role in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Though his bid was unsuccessful, it’s hard not to admit he’d have made a good candidate had Tom Holland not eventually landed the role.

Emma Roberts - Harley Quinn - Suicide Squad (2016)

Apparently, the world has Fox’s now defunct shriek-com Scream Queens for taking Emma Roberts away from Suicide Squad. Roberts chose that TV gig over becoming the living embodiment of mayhem, leaving the role wide open for Margot Robbie to accept, and own, the role of Harley Quinn for years to come.

Josh Brolin - Batman - Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Ben Affleck had some stiff competition for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’s Caped Crusader; and Josh Brolin was one of those competitors. But just as those hopes of Bryan Cranston as Lex Luthor and Timothy Dalton as Alfred didn’t pan out, Brolin lost the gig. With that, another major "what if" casting scenario was created.

Ryan Gosling - Doctor Strange - Doctor Strange (2016)

Yes, it’s true: Ryan Gosling took a meeting back in the Phase Three days of the MCU. The Mickey Mouse Club alum was considered to play Dr. Steven Strange himself. It’s hard to tell which missed opportunity is the more intriguing what if: this, or Gosling’s failed attempt to make a Haunted Mansion movie with Guillermo del Toro.

DeWanda Wise - Maria Rambeau - Captain Marvel (2019)

Getting cast in a superhero movie like Captain Marvel, only to have to bow out, has to be a painful feeling. DeWanda Wise is another case of such history in action, as she was supposed to play Maria Rambeau opposite Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. But then, commitments to Season 2 of Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It forced Wise to exit, with Lashana Lynch taking her place shortly after.

Sean Young - Catwoman - Batman Returns (1992)

Sean Young really wanted to be Catwoman in Batman Returns. No, seriously, the Blade Runner actor had such a desire to be cast in the role, that details reported via CBR saw a Warner Bros exec talking about how she burst into his office, in a Catwoman costume of her own design, to try and impress him and Michael Keaton. Needless to say, it didn’t work.

David Duchovny - Batman - Batman & Robin (1997)

There was a bit of a holding pattern between the success of Batman Forever and the accelerated timeline to make Batman & Robin. In that chaos, Val Kilmer exited the role, and a new Bats needed to be found. The X-Files' David Duchovny was one of the candidates considered, but the spooky man lost out on the role to George Clooney. A fate that Mr. Clooney still apologizes for, to this very day.

Armie Hammer - Batman - Justice League: Mortal (2007)

Tax rebates! That’s what caused the cancellation of George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal, which was pretty far along in pre-production for a movie to be given the axe. With Armie Hammer cast as Batman for this big blockbuster, the Caped Crusader scored yet another intriguing “what if…” when the curtain fell.

Anne Hathaway - Black Cat - Spider-Man 4 (2011)

If Spider-Man 4 had actually happened, it could have been a hell of a sight. With folks like John Malkovich cast, the next intended Sam Raimi-helmed movie could have been a return to the heights of Spider-Man 2. And in that pocket of alternate reality, Anne Hathaway probably didn’t play Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, as she would have played a feline of a different stripe: Felicia Hardy herself, Black Cat. 

Christina Aguilera - Invisible Woman - Fantastic Four (2005)

Prepare for quite possibly the most bizarro alternative casting on this list. Amid development on 2005's Fantastic Four, Sean Astin himself wanted to direct the First Family of Superheroes. And as Astin revealed to Collider, he wanted Christina Aguilera to play Sue Storm a.k.a. the Invisible Woman. There’s got to be a “Genie In A Bottle” joke here somewhere, but we just can’t see it.

As you can see, the world of alternate comic castings has led to some stranger than-fiction-possibilities, near misses and truly heartbreaking passes. You can bet that so long as Marvel, DC, and any other comic company is keeping the pedal to the medal to make more superhero movies, there will be even more of these tales to come along in the years to come.

After what seems like years of hearing about it, Extraction 2 is finally here, bringing with it another adventure featuring Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rake. Following the Extraction ending,  the black ops mercenary’s story was left up in the air, but he has since returned for another dangerous and seemingly impossible mission: rescue the family of a Georgian gangster from an Eastern European prison.

If you have watched the new Netflix arrival, or plan on watching it in the near future, you’ll probably want to know where you’ve seen the actors behind those new and returning characters before. If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place, as we have all the information on the Extraction 2 cast.  

Chris Hemsworth (Tyler Rake) 

There are a few returning stars showing up in Extraction 2, with the biggest and baddest being Chris Hemsworth, who once again portrays former Australian SAS operator and black ops mercenary Tyler Rake.

Obviously, Hemsworth is best known for his portrayal of Thor in some of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, with his two biggest appearances – Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame – being directed by Extraction 2 producers Joe and Anthony Russo. However, the super-jacked action star has also been in some non-MCU films over the years, including Michael Mann’s Black Hat, the 2016 female-led Ghostbusters, 12 Strong, and Rush, to name a few.  

Golshifteh Farahani (Nik Khan)

Golshiefteh Farahani is another member of the Extraction cast to return for the 2023 Netflix movie, once again taking on the role of Tyler Rake’s most trusted partner and fellow merc, Nik Khan.

In the three years since first joining the Extraction franchise, Farahani has appeared in movies like Brother and Sister, My Father’s Dragon, and A Romantic Comedy, as well as several TV series including Gen: Lock, VTC, and the Apple TV+ original show, Invasion. All of this comes after years of building a career with titles such as M for Mother, Body of Lies, Paterson, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. 

Adam Bessa (Yaz Khan) 

Adam Bessa also returns for more action in Extraction 2, reprising his role of Yaz Khan, Nik’s brother and another core member of Tyler Rake’s team.

Outside of his appearance in Sam Hargrave’s 2020 action thriller, Bessa has appeared in movies like The Blessed, Mosul, and Harka over the years. He’s also made a handful of TV appearances over the years, including a sizable role in the third season of the Amazon Prime original series, Hanna back in 2021. 

Tinatin Dalakishvili (Ketevan)

Tinatin Dalakishvili is the first new addition to the Extraction 2 cast we’ll be discussing here, as the actress appears in the movie as Ketevan, the woman who is to be rescued by Tyler Rake.

Throughout her career, the model-turned-actress has split her time between film and TV,  with some notable roles in both mediums. This includes movies like About Love, For Adults Only alongside John Malkovich, Let It Snow, Hostages, Star, and Medeya, to name a few. If you were a fan of the 2022 Peacock streaming series, The Undeclared War, then you’ll probably recognize Dalakishvili from her portrayal of Marina Veselova. 

Tornike Gogrichiani (Zurab)

Next up is Tornike Gogrichiani, another new addition to the Extraction cast, who takes on the role of the ruthless and deadly Georgian gangster known as Zurab.

Before being involved in the hard-hitting action of Extraction 2, Gogrichiani wrote, directed, and starred in his fair share of film and TV projects over the course of his career, one that goes back more than a decade. With movies like Adam & Eve, Neighbors, and A Fold in My Blanket, and numerous others under his belt, Gogrichiani has provided a lot of variety on the screen. His work on the small screen includes everything from Paradox to Sniffer and Tiflisi to Artificial Breathing, the latter of which featured him in more than 50 episodes.

Daniel Bernhardt (Konstantine)

Martial artist and actor Daniel Bernhardt is another member of the Extraction 2 cast, as he takes on the role of badass-looking Georgian known as Konstantine.

If Bernhardt looks familiar, it’s probably because he has fought alongside or against some of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the best action movies of all time. Throughout his film career, Bernhardt has played characters in the John Wick universe, portrayed an agent in the Matrix franchise, fought aliens in Skylines, and has popped up in Logan, Atomic Blonde, and Hobbs & Shaw. And that’s just the beginning. Pretty much, if there has been an action flick in the past quarter-century, he’s probably been in it in some shape or form. Fans of the various Mortal Kombat adaptations will even recognize Bernhardt from his turn on the short-lived late ‘90s live-action series, Mortal Kombat: Conquest. 

Olga Kurylenko (Mia)

One of the most recognizable faces in the Extraction 2 cast, Olga Kurylenko shows up in the new Netflix movie as a character named Mia.

Throughout her career, Kurylenko has appeared in some of the biggest movie franchises of all time with roles like Camille Montes in the Daniel Craig-led James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, and that of Antonia Dreykov, a.k.a., Taskmaster in Black Widow. But these are just two of Kurylenko’s roles, as she has also appeared in movies like Max Payne, To the Wonder, The November Man, The Death of Stalin, Oblivion, The Princess, and High Heat. Her TV appearances include everything from Tyranny to Magic City and Mission Control to Treason. 

Idris Elba (Man in the Suit) 

And last but certainly not least is Idris Elba, who shows up in Extraction 2 as the mysterious figure known as the Man in the Suit. 

No stranger to appearing in Netflix movies, Elba has previously popped up in originals like Concrete Cowboy, The Harder They Fall, and Luther: The Fallen Sun. At the same time, Elba has worked extensively with Chris Hemsworth thanks to her appearances in the various Thor movies and various other MCU titles. Outside of that, Elba has done a little bit of everything throughout his career, including leading The Wire cast for multiple seasons, kicking ass in one of the best DC Comics movies, and bringing Knuckles to life in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Stream Extraction 2 on Netflix.

Well, this should help you put the names to all the faces who make up the Extraction 2 cast. The movie is currently streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription, which also grants you access to some of the biggest movies on the 2023 Movie schedule.

Stream Extraction 2 on Netflix.

For years now, we’ve been following along with the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and later this year, a new team will make its debut in this superhero franchise. In this case though, the membership in the MCU's Thunderbolts movie will be made up of anti-heroes and reformed supervillains. Paper Towns’ Jake Schreier is directing the upcoming Marvel movie, and Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo all worked on the script.

We’re still in the dark about what kind of threat the MCU’s Thunderbolts will deal with once they're banded together, though as shown the Thunderbolts* trailer, this all kicks off with someone wanting to kill the protagonists. For now, let’s go over the actors who have come aboard this feature (and yes, that asterisk does belong in the title), most of whom, including Sebastian Stan and Florence Pugh, we’ve already spent time with in the MCU.

Sebastian Stan

Sebastian Stan has been part of the MCU longer than anyone else on this list, first appearing as Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger. Originally thought to have perished in that movie, Bucky was brought back into play in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as a brainwashed HYDRA assassin. Fortunately, by the end of that movie, Bucky managed to break free from the terrorist organization, though he still had to deal with HYDRA’s lingering influence on his mind in Captain America: Civil War. Stan then reprised Bucky in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and in 2021, he co-starred with Anthony Mackie in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

When we left off with Bucky in that series, he’d finally made amends with everyone he’d hurt as the Winter Soldier, then headed to Louisiana to join Sam Wilson and his community for a celebratory cookout. He’d finally reached a good point in his life after decades of hardship, but the time has come for him to put his unique set of skills back to use. In Thunderbolts*, Bucky will prove key to branding this group of characters together.

Florence Pugh

The Black Widow mantle lives on on through Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. We met Yelena during the Black Widow movie, which was set in between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. The adoptive sisters went on one last adventure that saw them freeing the other Black Widow agents, as well as Taskmaster (more on her later) from the Red Room’s influence. Unfortunately, that was the last time Natasha and Yelena would see each other, with Black Widow’s post-credits scene showing Yelena visiting Natasha’s grave.

In that same scene, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine assigned Yelena to kill Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, whom she blamed for Natasha’s death. Yelena attempted to carry out this task during the Hawkeye series, but by that show’s finale, Clint persuaded her to drop this mission of vengeance. So Yelena didn’t carry out what Valentina expected of her, but these two will be working together again during Thunderbolts*. Yelena's also the one who figures out someone is gunning for her and her teammates.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Nick Fury is still active in the MCU, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has been giving off the same kind of vibes the one-eyed spy did in the MCU’s Phase 1. Prior to her appearance in Black Widow, Valentina first appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, when she approached John Walker after he’d been discharged from the military and stripped of the Captain America mantle. Valentina thought John made the right call taking the Super Solider Serum and murdering a Flag Smasher, and by the Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale, she’d set him up as U.S. Agent.

Valentina then resurfaced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as the new head of the CIA, and we also learned that she and Everett K. Ross used to be married. Now there’s Thunderbolts* on the horizon, and just like Nick Fury did with the Avengers, it’s looking like Valentina will be responsible for this team’s creation. However, this is a woman who looks like she’s willing to step over certain lines that Fury would never cross.

Wyatt Russell

Although Sam Wilson accepted the elderly Steve Rogers’ shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame, when The Falcon and the Winter Soldier rolled around, he was hesitant to actually become the new Captain America. As such, he gave the shield to the U.S. government, and they in turned appoint John Walker to carry on as Steve’s successor. However, the pressure of being the patriotic superhero quickly weighed on John, and it also soon became clear that he had anger issues and a massive ego. This all came to a head when he injected himself with the Super Soldier Serum, which amplified these qualities and led to him brutally murdering one of the Flag Smashers.

John was then relieved of duty, and it wasn’t long after that Sam Wilson finally decide to suit up as Captain America. But now John is walking down a new path as U.S. Agent, and because Valetina Allegra de Fontaine is in charge of the CIA, then he’s basically still working for the U.S. government, just in a different capacity. In the Thunderbolts* trailer, it doesn't look like John is particularly pleased with the way his life's gone, but maybe the events of the movie will help change things for the better.

David Harbour

Alexei Shostakov, a.k.a. Red Guardian, was the father figure in the family unit that Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova were in as kids, with Melina Vostokoff being the mother figure. However, sometime after their mission in the United States ended, David Harbour’s character was thrown into prison, and had Natasha and Yelena not freed him, he likely would have spent the rest of his life incarcerated. Luckily that wasn’t to be, and after putting his Red Guardian suit back on, Alexei teamed up with Natasha, Yelena and Melina to take down Dreykov and the Red Room.

Alexei was last seen leaving to parts unknown with Melina, Yelena, the remaining Black Widows and Taskmaster as Black Widow’s main story concluded, so when we reunite with him in Thunderbolts*, over half a decade will have passed in the MCU timeline. It looks as though Alexei's leading a lonely life when we reunite with him, but Yelena coming to visit will pave the way for him to experience excitement again.

Hannah John-Kamen

Hannah John-Kamen's Ava Starr, a.k.a. Ghost, from Ant-Man and the Wasp is back. As a result of being caught in an accident in her father’s lab as a child that killed both of her parents, Ava gained the power of intangibility. The problem was that her body was in a constant state of "molecular disequilibrium,” requiring her to wear a special suit to control her ability to phase through solid matter. Ava agreed to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. in exchange for a cure for her condition, but when she learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. was controlled by HYDRA and had no actual intention of helping her, she fled with Bill Foster, a scientist colleague of her father’s who sincerely offered to help her.

Ava and Bill wanted to harness the quantum energy that Janet van Dyne was filled with to devise their cure, but Hank Pym believed this would kill his wife. So Ghost proved to be a major nuisance throughout that Marvel movie, but Janet eventually willingly gave her some quantum energy to temporarily stabilize her. Ava and Bill then went into hiding, and while Scott Lang, Janet, Hank and Hope van Dyne had planned to deliver more quantum energy to Ava, Scott ended up being trapped in the Quantum Realm while retrieving that energy, and the latter three were among the people Thanos turned to dust. But Ava will be in control of her condition when we reunite with her in Thunderbolts*.

Olga Kurylenko

Taskmaster’s identity was kept secret during the marketing of Black Widow, but within the movie itself, we learned it was Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov who was under that mask. Thought to have been killed by Natasha Romanoff when she was trying to assassinate Antonia’s father, she was actually gravely injured and disfigured. Dreykov inserted a chip into his daughter to relieve her of her agonizing pain, but this also allowed her to completely control her. That, combined with Antonia’s natural ability to mimic any physical action she sees, resulted in Dreykov turning the girl turning the girl into Taskmaster, a brainwashed assassin who carried out the Red Room’s directives.

Antonia spent most of Black Widow essentially as a blunt instrument for her father’s schemes, but Natasha Romanoff was eventually able to snap her free of the mind control using the final vial of Red Dust. With her direction in life now uncertain, Antonia left with the surviving Black Widows, Yelena, Alexei and Melina before the authorities arrived. It would be nice to learn what’s been up to in between Black Widow and Thunderbolts*, including whether she's been a force for good as Taskmaster or more of a mercenary.

Harrison Ford

Following the passing of William Hurt, Harrison Ford is taking over the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the MCU. As far as that character’s history in this franchise goes, although we last saw him hunting down Natasha Romanoff in Black Widow, chronologically within the MCU timeline, he was last seen attending Tony Stark’s funeral. Since it was revealed in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law that the Sokovia Accords have been overturned, Ross now finds himself back in a world where superheroes are free to operate without any government supervision.

To be up front, although Harrison Ford will first appear as Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Brave New World, there are conflicting reports about if he's in Thunderbolts* too. Even if he is, it's unclear if the team is named after him, which it most certainly is not in the comics, nor has it been clarified if he’ll be allied with the Thunderbolts or somehow be an adversary to them. However, the fact that he's President of the United States in Brave New World would suggest the former is more likely. Also, since the Brave New World trailer confirmed the inclusion of Red Hulk, it's a good bet his alter-ego will remain Ross, and perhaps he'll turn into this behemoth in Thunderbolts* as well.

Lewis Pullman

At the start of January 2024, Beef star Steven Yeun dropped out of Thunderbolts*, with the actor later confirming it was due to scheduling issues. A few weeks later, Top Gun: Maverick's Lewis Pullman was reported to be lined up as Yeun's replacement. It's since been confirmed that Pullman is playing Bob, a bulletproof man who was being kept at a facility where Yelena, U.S. Agent, Taskmaster and Ghost end up. In other words, we're getting the MCU's version of Sentry, although whether he'll actually be called that or wear a costume hasn't been clarified yet.

Geraldine Viswanathan

At the end of January 2024, Thunderbolts* was hit with another casting shakeup. Like Steven Yeun, The Bear's Ayo Edebiri had to stepped away from the movie due to scheduling issues, and Geraldine Viswanathan was cast in her place. Reporter Jeff Sneider claimed on his The InSneider newsletter that Viswanathan will play Mel, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's assistant. For those wondering where you might have seen the actress before, her major credits include Blockers, The Broken Hearts Gallery, The Beanie Bubble, Drive-Away Dolls and Miracle Workers.

Laurence Fishburne

When Ava Starr’s parents died, Bill Foster became her surrogate father. In addition to having worked Elias Starr at S.H.I.E.L.D., Foster was also once Hank Pym’s assistant on Project Goliath, allowing him to try growing his body to enormous heights on several occasions. As mentioned earlier, Bill wanted to sincerely help Ava with her condition, and after Janet van Dyne stabilized the woman towards the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp, she and Bill went on the run. Laurence Fishburne is now reportedly reprising Bill in Thunderbolts*, which begs the question of if the two of them have had their records cleared, or if Bill will still have to keep a low profile once Ava starts working with the title team.

Rachel Weisz

Remember when I mentioned Melina Vostokoff earlier? Like Alexei Shostakov, Rachel Weisz’s character reentered the lives of Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova in Black Widow. Because Yelena was shown to be doing her own thing in Hawkeye, I imagine that Melina has been spending the years between Black Widow and Thunderbolts* by Alexei’s side, as it clearly looked like they were ready to resume their romantic relationship in the former movie. Although Alexei and Yelena will be part of the Thunderbolts team, I’m curious what the rationale will be for Melina not joining. That’s assuming, of course, that Valentina hasn’t already recruited her for a different mission.

Wendell Pierce

Although arguably best known for his appearances on TV shows like The Wire, Suits, The Odd Couple and Jack Ryan, Wendell Pierce also built a lengthy film resume, and Thunderbolts* is next up on it. This is the second upcoming superhero movie he has lined up, as he’s also playing Perry White in James Gunn’s Superman, the first theatrical entry in the DC Universe franchise. But when it comes to Thunderbolts*, it hasn’t been shared yet who Pierce is playing.

Chris Bauer

Like his The Wire co-star Wendell Pierce, Chris Bauer has also been around the TV block quite a bit through shows like True Blood, The Deuce, Heels and For All Mankind, but he’s also appeared in various types of movies. After looking over his filmography though, it’s arguably safe to say that Thunderbolts* is the biggest cinematic project he’s participated in yet. As is also the case with Pierce though, we have no idea who Bauer will play in the Marvel movie.

Thunderbolts* hits theaters on May 2. Use your Disney+ subscription to watch all these characters’ past MCU appearances for yourselves while we wait to learn who else will appear in this movie.

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Warning: SPOILERS for Black Widow are ahead!

It almost feels like a crime to hide someone like Olga Kurylenko behind a helmet, especially when you hire an action star like her for a film that just happens to be Marvel’s Black Widow. Making up the latest mind-blowing reveal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kurylenko is the official actor behind Antonia Dreykov, the woman we now know as Taskmaster. And while we do get to see her face for a couple of scenes in director Cate Shortland’s big MCU outing, there was one big Taskmaster fight that would have shown us more of the actress' face. The only problem was it was trimmed down.

While there were scenes of Black Widow that did allow Olga Kurylenko to physically inhabit her character, we don’t see too many of them in the film. That’s mostly because of the intense stunt work for Taskmaster, which required several doubles to step in to portray an adversary that can copy anyone’s fighting skills. However, one scene that almost saw another helmet removing moment, coincidentally, was her fight against fellow Quantum of Solace alum/Red Guardian himself, David Harbour.

As we see Taskmaster and Red Guardian fight in one of the ominously sparse hallways of the Red Room complex, the final result in Black Widow is apparently truncated. I learned this firsthand while speaking with Olga Kurylenko during a press day for the film, as I was curious if these one-time James Bond franchise participants had a chance to reflect on how they both landed the same two major film series. This led to the big revelation about their trimmed fight scene, and Ms. Kurylenko’s reaction, seen below:

On the one hand, there’s no official mark on how much was cut from Olga Kurylenko’s Black Widow role, and the only portion we do know for sure was trimmed was the big hallway fight with Red Guardian. Which is interesting because, as we’ve seen in Marvel’s past, hallway fights are kind of one of the studio’s specialties; albeit more so on the TV side of the house. The point still remains that there’s no telling how much more of Antonia Dreykov we may have been able to see in Black Widow.

That won’t stop people from speculating, especially in a post-Zack Snyder’s Justice League world. But as even Olga Kurylenko herself admitted that the editing process of any film is going to see moments left on the cutting room floor that could have lingered longer than anticipated. It’s practically the rite of passage that determines whether your action-packed blockbuster needs to slim down to keep the momentum going, or if it needs a nice comedic gag about Scarlett Johansson’s infamous fighting pose to tie the whole film together. In the end, Black Widow didn’t undergo anything less routine than the usual discussions of what should stay in, and what should be cut out, in order to optimize the movie magic.

With the possibility of Black Widow sequels hanging in the air, and Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster surviving the film, who knows what the future could bring? There’s a distinct possibility that while a return to this world may not see Scarlett Johansson in anything other than archival cameos, Ms. Kurylenko could flex her action muscles in future installments.

Rest assured that if you’re an Olga Kurylenko fan, the fact that she’s entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a promising prospect. And if you, for some reason, haven’t seen her huge reveal in Black Widow, you can enjoy the big moment in theaters. Though there’s also the option of catching the film through Disney+ Premier Access, but you’ll need to be a member of the Disney+ family. Check out the Disney Bundle, which offers new subscribers access to this platform, as well as ESPN+ and Hulu, for one convenient monthly fee.

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Warning: SPOILERS for Black Widow are ahead!

The character of Taskmaster in Marvel’s Black Widow is a hell of a concept to behold. A fighter who can copy the moves of anyone they study, with a seemingly photographic memory, Scarlett Johansson’s returning Avenger had her work cut out for her with this latest nemesis. And according to Olga Kurylenko, the featured actor behind one of the latest MCU adversaries to take the screen, it was a role so crazy that it took multiple stunt doubles to execute.

As we head into Week Two of Marvel’s Black Widow at the box office, it’s time to dig deeper into some of the film’s darker secrets. Part of that endeavor meant that I got to speak with Olga Kurylenko on behalf of the press tour that’s promoting the MCU’s return to the movies. So with Taskmaster being obscured for most of the film, I wondered just how much screen time Ms. Kurylenko got when it came to bringing to life a piece of Natasha Romanoff’s past that she thought had died. Here’s what the actress had to say when asked if it was her in the Taskmaster suit all the long:

Being a fan of Olga Kurylenko’s work, especially since she played Daniel Craig’s James Bond accomplice Camille Mendes in Quantum of Solace, it intrigued me to see her name in Black Widow's opening credits. Imagine the surprise when seeing her revealed to be the face of a grown-up Antonia Dreykov, the daughter of Ray Winstone’s General Dreykov, leader of the infamous Red Room program. Even more surprising was the fact that she was the character who would become known as Taskmaster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

There wasn’t even a whisper of this potential Black Widow reveal, as Marvel Studios engaged in its usual campaign of secrecy during the film’s production. In fact, Olga Kurylenko’s mere presence was even hidden from some of the cast and crew working on the latest MCU entry. Whisked to and from set with a rather concealing umbrella, Kurylenko was able to get onto set, act as a menacing figure under her in-universe father’s control and head back without anyone being the wiser.

It’s probably another reason why having several Taskmaster stunt doubles was such a blessing, as Black Widow’s production didn’t associate Olga Kurylenko with the role entirely. Leading to another shocking twist in the story arc that’s seen Scarlet Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff finally clear a long standing sin off her red ledger, Antonia Dreykov is freed along with the other former Widows of the Red Room. No longer needing to hide her involvement from the world, could there be a chance that we’ll see Ms. Kurylenko return to the MCU? When asked, she only had this to say:

No one ever knows when Marvel will come calling for them to serve, so at the moment, it looks like Black Widow is Olga Kurylenko’s big Marvel moment. You can catch her, and her stunt doubles, fighting against Scarlett Johansson and her avenging family in the film, which is currently being shown in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access. If you haven’t signed up for Disney+ just yet, check out the Disney Bundle offer that’ll give you access to that platform, as well as Hulu and ESPN+, for one convenient subscription!

After being delayed from its original 2020 release, Black Widow joined the 2021 movies, and tells the story of where Natasha Romanoff was between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. While it’s always fun to watch the Marvel movies in order, today we’re going to be talking specifically about the actors in Black Widow, the latest Marvel film.

You’ve most likely seen Scarlett Johansson in plenty of other films, but what about Florence Pugh? Or William Hurt? These stars have been in several other projects prior to Black Widow, so here is where you might have seen the Black Widow cast before, and where they'll be next.

MINOR SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN BLACK WIDOW.

Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff)

Scarlett Johansson has portrayed the titular Black Widow since 2010, in Iron Man 2, so it’s a bittersweet finale for this amazing actress who has been in some of the best Marvel movies to date. However, just because she’s been with Marvel for more than a decade, that doesn’t mean she hasn’t done some other incredible films.

Some of Johansson's previous films are Lost in Translation, Girl With a Pearl Earring, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Prestige, and Match Point, among many others. In the last decade, she had an important voice role in Her, starred in science fiction film Under The Skin, as well as Jojo Rabbit and the Netflix film, Marriage Story, in the same year, scoring Academy Award nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in 2020.

Truly, I’m going to miss seeing Scarlett Johansson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but she’s served us well as Black Widow – and now, we can pass the torch onto the next one. I look forward to what she has coming next, like Sing 2. I can't wait to hear her singing voice again.

Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova)

As the “sister” of Natasha Romanoff, Yelena Belova is another former Red Room assassin who teams up with Black Widow to take down Dreykov. Florence Pugh portrays Yelena in the film, adding to the impressive films that this young actress has done so far.

Pugh has been in films since 2014, making her debut in the drama, The Falling, before receiving attention for her role in Lady Macbeth. After that, she had a main role in the 2018 British miniseries, The Little Drummer Girl, and then portrayed professional wrestler Paige in the biographical sports film, Fighting with My Family.

In 2019, Florence Pugh also portrayed Dani Ardor in the popular horror film, Midsommar, and played Amy March in the period drama, Little Women, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. After the Black Widow ending, and the end credits scene of the movie, I think we can expect to see a lot more of Yelena in the MCU very soon.

Keep an eye out for this one – and all her pockets, especially in that new Hawkeye TV series, coming out soon.

David Harbour (Alexei Shostakov)

In my opinion, Alexei was one of the main characters in Black Widow who truly carried the film, for his hilarious moments and awesome fighting skills alongside his two “daughters.” David Harbour brought Red Guardian to life and created a memorable Marvel character.

Harbour himself has done plenty in the industry. In film, he’s portrayed Randall Malone in Brokeback Mountain, Shep Campbell in Revolutionary Road, Gregg Beam in Quantum of Solace, D.A. Frank Scanlon in The Green Hornet, Frank Masters in The Equalizer, and the titular Hellboy in Hellboy. Truly, the man has been all over the map, showing off his range of acting talent.

However, David Harbour gained worldwide recognition when signed on to play Jim Hopper in the popular Netflix series, Stranger Things, a role which he still does to this day. Other than that, Harbour has also had some other minor roles on television, like a recurring part in The Newsroom, and one in State of Affairs.

With Stranger Things Season 4 coming (hopefully) soon, it won’t be long until we see him again on our TV screens.

O-T Fagbenie (Mason)

For a film with so many new faces, it was only a matter of time before we were introduced to another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, which Mason, portrayed by O-T Fagbenie, was in Black Widow. The kind man helped out Natasha in plenty of circumstances, giving her some good gear to take on her enemies.

O-T Fagbenie hasn’t done much on the big screen, with Black Widow being one of his bigger roles, but in television, he has been around. He’s been in several shows as guest stars, such as Doctor Who and Happy Endings. However, he’s also had main roles in shows like Grownups, FM, and a recurring role in the HBO series, Looking.

Currently, O-T Fagbenie stars as Luke Bankole in the hit Hulu series, The Handmaid’s Tale, and is going to be portraying former President Barack Obama in a new series, titled The First Lady, so there’s no denying that he is one busy actor. Hopefully, with his appearance in Black Widow, we might get to see him more in films very soon.

Olga Kurylenko (Antonia Dreykov)

As the daughter of the main villain of Black Widow, Antonia isn’t seen much – but is important. The woman is portrayed by Olga Kurylenko, an actress who has done a lot in Hollywood.

Along with being in plenty of international films, Kurylenko has had her fair share of films that you might have seen her in, including Hitman, Quantum of Solace (with David Harbour), Centurion, To the Wonder, Vampire Academy, The Death of Stalin, The Room, and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. For a time, Olga Kurylenko also had a role in the drama, Magic City, and has done a couple of guest/recurring appearances on TV shows outside of that. It’s exciting to see her take on a superhero movie, even more so because it’s Marvel.

Kurylenko will next be seen in Empires of the Deep.

William Hurt (Thaddeus Ross)

I mean, I think we all have a love/hate relationship with Thaddeus Ross from Marvel, considering he’s one of reasons the Sokovian Accords even took place. Even so, he appears in Black Widow, played by the talented William Hurt, an actor who has been in the industry for decades.

Hurt has been in plenty of amazing films, such as Kiss of the Spider-Woman, where he won an Academy Award, followed by two other big films, Children of a Lesser God and Broadcast News, where he received two other nominations at the Academy Awards. But, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t done his fair share of films since then.

Some of his other roles have included portraying Professor Alien Hobby in Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence, a role in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village as Edward Walker, Richie Cusack in A History of Violence, Walt McCandless in Into the Wild, Tom Tulley in The Last Full Measure, and so many others.

Hurt has also had some bigger roles in television as well, and starred in the miniseries, Damages, back in 2009, several television movies, and portrayed Donald Cooperman in Goliath, and Bob Partridge in Condor. He also had a guest spot on the Apple TV+ series, Mythic Quest. William Hurt is one skilled actor, and honestly, I can’t picture anyone else other than him playing Thaddeus Ross.

With an actor as talented as him, he has plenty coming up soon, including a new TV series called Pantheon and several films, so look for him soon.

Ray Winstone (Dreykov)

As the villain of the main story in Black Widow, let’s all just take a collective moment to agree we hate him so much. Good? Me too. But, Ray Winstone, the man behind the evil Red Room leader, does an excellent job at portraying him.

Ray Winstone has done a lot of movies, with several genres to his name. He was in the dramas Nil by Mouth and The War Zone, and the British/German film Last Orders. He played Mr. Beaver in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, was in Beowulf as the titular character, in the Martin Scorsese film The Departed as Arnold French, in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the animated film Rango, the epic biblical film Noah, in the musical Cats, and so many others. That is someone who has truly mastered so many genres – I can hardly keep track.

Winstone has also had plenty of experience in television as well, with a main role in the British television show, Robin of Sherwood, and most recently, a main role in the television series Ice. Dreykov was certainly an interesting villain – and Winstone performed the character to perfection. Currently, Winstone has a new film he's working on, titled Prizefighter: The Life of Jim Belcher, so keep an eye out for him soon in movie theaters.

Rachel Weisz (Melina Vostokoff)

As the last person on this list, no one can quite forget about the mother-figure for both Natasha and Yelena, Melina Vostokoff, portrayed by Rachel Weisz.

The actress has many, many credits to her name, just as several of her castmates. She starred in The Mummy franchise, playing Evelyn Carnahan. After that, she went on to star in several films, including Enemy at the Gates, About a Boy, Constantine, The Fountain, and The Lovely Bones. She won an Academy Award for her role in The Constant Gardener and received a second nomination when she portrayed Sarah Churchill in The Favourite.

Rachel Weisz has also had roles in The Bourne Legacy and Oz the Great and Powerful. With how much she’s done, it’s not a surprise that this talented actress took her skills into the superhero world. She has the recently announced dramedy, Love Child, coming next.

With all these Marvel TV shows and Marvel movies, it’s not a surprise that we’ve been seeing more and more stars hop into this incredibly popular franchise. After Black Widow, I can only imagine where the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to go – and who else might sign on.

A fairly important component to any James Bond adventure, besides high tech gadgets and bespoke evening wear, is, of course, the stunts. Whether it’s using the professional doubles cast to make Daniel Craig and other 007 actors look like superhumans, or if it’s with the cast members themselves doing the heavy lifting, there’s some insane work that goes into the action-packed visuals of any Bond adventure. Which makes the fact that actor Olga Kurylenko did some of the actual stuntwork all the more impressive, as she honestly thought she was going to die in a particularly tense set-piece in 2008’s Quantum of Solace.

During my conversation with Ms. Kurylenko, on behalf of the recent home video release of her latest film, The Room, we got to talking about her experience in the second Daniel Craig entry in the modern run of the Bond franchise. Perhaps the best story to come out of this conversation is the one that’s about to unfold. After an intense training regimen that put Olga Kurylenko through the wringer (in all the best ways), the actual shoot for Quantum of Solace saw her and Daniel Craig partake in an extended sequence where Bond and Camille are involved in a whole bunch of nautical action. And as Kurylenko describes below, that action was actually taking place on set:

Before we go too much further into the story, you really should rewatch the boat chase sequence from Quantum of Solace. An impressive sequence in its own right, it’s all the more spectacular when you realize that this isn’t some visual marvel that took a green screen and water tank approach. What you’re about to see actually happened, on location, with Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko present in the moment:

The title Quantum of Solace could probably describe what Kurylenko and Craig felt once director Marc Forster yelled “Cut” on this specific instance of stunt work. Especially when, in a marvelous piece of fight choreography, Olga Kurylenko’s Camille has to fight Bond as he’s driving the boat. And that fight ends with her in an arms locked stalemate with the man she just pinned to the steering console of a small boat.

But before that fight even got to take place, there was the moment where, just as it looked like Camille was being sent to her assured doom, 007 rams the boat she’s sailing on with the very vessel she’d flee aboard. A moment like that needs a lot of training, and some serious advisory for an actor like Olga Kurylenko, who undertook her first big action movie in Quantum of Solace. Having intensely trained for several weeks, and after a rigorous audition process that saw her and Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot emerge as two of the four finalists, Kurylenko was about to take some pretty big steps into a career that’d see her confidently venture into doing a lot more action films.

Mixing footage of stunt performers doubling for both Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko, as well as practical moments with both actors actually involved, the Quantum of Solace boat chase was shot over four weeks, and saw Kurylenko practicing some of her scenes fully kitted out with a helmet and protective padding, as well as being attached for safety. That all changed when it came time to shoot the practical sequences for the movie proper, which prompted the following safety talk between Olga and the stunt coordinator:

While a practical approach such as the one Quantum of Solace took towards this particular stunt enhances the moments captured on film, it does mean that a lot preparation and planning are going to have to be executed. That’s also true on the acting side of the fence, as Olga Kurylenko had to very quickly recover from the boat impact, attempt to pull her gun on her target of vengeance, General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio), and then get into her first scuffle with James Bond.

Of course, the fact that this was all happening for real helped add a sort of method acting layer to this prolonged beat of action. But much as she maintained her cool during auditioning to be in Quantum of Solace, Olga Kurylenko kept cool on camera and delivered a sterling performance as one of the most formidable Bond Women of the modern era. Though you may not have seen it, she does admit that yes, she was definitely scared when it was all going down:

As Daniel Craig is set to send his suits to the cleaner for the last time as James Bond after the release of No Time To Die, reflecting on his tenure is something a lot of people are going to find themselves doing in the run up to that final adventure. And while some may disagree to the quality of Quantum of Solace itself, there’s no question that Olga Kurylenko’s role as Camille is one of the factors that still holds up across the board, over a decade after it was first shown to audiences worldwide. A fact that we can all partially thank to the fear of death literally being struck into her being on set, and all of the adrenaline-filled action that came after.

You can see Olga Kurylenko in the Shudder original film The Room, which is streaming on Shudder and also available to rent or own on Digital HD and DVD. If you’re curious to see Quantum of Solace again, or for the first time, you can stream that film on HBO Max until August 1. After which point, you’ll have to wait for it to hit Netflix and Hulu’s streaming libraries on August 31; along with its direct predecessor, Casino Royale.

Competing for a lead role in the James Bond franchise isn’t just a contest to see who gets to be the next 007 in the tuxedo. With iconic characters like M, Q and Moneypenny all getting periodic refreshes themselves, the cast of this storied espionage series has a lot of openings that need careful, deliberate casting. But perhaps even more important than those roles is the casting of the position now known as the “Bond Woman.” The person who will be accompanying James on his journey is a position of chemistry, and as of late is pretty demanding stunt work. And believe it or not, Olga Kurylenko and Gal Gadot were both late stage contenders for the role of Camille in 2008’s Quantum of Solace.

That particular story was one of a couple I was able to hear from Olga herself, as she was promoting Shudder’s original film The Room, and I was given the opportunity to speak with her about that new chilling thriller first hand. However, I couldn’t let the opportunity to bring up her work in director Marc Forster’s underrated James Bond movie pass, and I was curious what the audition process was like for Olga Kurylenko when she tried out for the role. According to a report from Premiere in 2008, there were roughly 400 women who auditioned for the role of Camille, the Bolivian operative with a very personal score to settle in Quantum of Solace. Thanks to Olga Kurylenko herself, the details of the rigorous audition process can now be told. She recalled her overall experience as follows.

Through the course of three auditions, Olga Kurylenko had gone to two different cities and performed as Camille for three different sets of watchful audiences. Apparently she was absolutely calm and collected during those auditions, despite the fact that she was keeping her actual case of nerves close to the vest. Kurylenko’s resolve worked in her favor, and by time she got to that final audition with Daniel Craig, the field was narrowed down to four women vying for the role. One of them was Kurylenko herself, who at that time only knew of one other person who was in the final stage of running:

That’s still a pretty impressive pairing to have in your final round of auditions. Keep in mind, Olga Kurylenko had already done Fox’s Hitman at this point, and this was only a short time before Gal Gadot would make her big Hollywood debut as Giselle Yashar in 2009’s Fast & Furious. So either way, a star’s career was about to be kicked into overdrive. But how exactly did things break in Ms. Kurylenko’s favor?

Well, on top of her assassin-like skills as an actor, one of her other competitors happened to drop out of the running for Quantum of Solace’s impressive Bond Woman on their own volition. As it turns out, it was reported that Gal Gadot felt that she wasn’t ready to work with a full English script at that point in her career, and on top of that, considered herself “too serious” to be an actor at that point. Seeing as she was studying law and international relations at that point in her life, one could see that point panning out.

The rest of the story became 007 history, as Olga Kurylenko would be cast as Camille, undergo a rigourous stunt training regimen and eventually find herself becoming a woman of action in various films throughout the rest of her career. Which only makes the fact that she and Gal Gadot would compete for the role of Wonder Woman all the more amusing, with Gadot gaining the upper hand this time around. It’s all just one big merry-go-round, isn’t it?

With fate panning out how it did, Olga Kurylenko’s casting in Quantum of Solace changed her career for good. As she has gone on to experiment in all sorts of genres and material in the decade-plus gap between her time as Camille, and today, Kurylenko remembers her time in the series fondly. And to think that if history had played out a little differently, we might have seen a very different Wonder Woman as a result, and Gal Gadot might have seen her star rise a little earlier. The Room is currently streaming on Shudder, and is also available on Digital HD and DVD. Also, Quantum of Solace is available for streaming on HBO Max at the moment, with Hulu and Netflix adding the film to their libraries as of August 31.

Warning: SPOILERS for Shudder’s The Room are in play. If you haven’t seen the film yet and want to avoid key plot details, come back once you’ve finished the movie.

The Shudder original film The Room has an ending that leaves the audience on a cliffhanger that will have them talking for sure. After the tale of a young couple buying a house with a magical, wish-fulfilling room makes its way to the conclusion of its story, we’re left with a revelation that has actress Olga Kurylenko wide eyed with shock. Knowing the context of that moment leaves viewers in a similar state, and when Kurylenko read the script to the film, she saw that potential as the ultimate selling point to Renaissance director Christian Volckman’s twisty live-action debut.

I was able to speak with Olga Kurylenko recently during a conversation in promotion of The Room, which hit home video this week, after an exclusive streaming run on the horror service Shudder. In between parsing out the message of true happiness versus the more manufactured, material kind of joy, and how sometimes people can be their own worst enemies in isolation, we eventually got down to the subject of yet another bonkers ending the internet is sure to catch onto.

Before we even get into the details of the big finish of The Room, Ms. Kurylenko’s reaction to that very shocking moment is pretty spoiler free. And what’s even better is the fact that she even got to watch the film with an audience of close friends, drinking in their reactions to her character, Kate, and the chilling news she gets at the end. Recalling those reactions, as well as her own to the film's script, Olga Kurylenko described the uniqueness of the finale thusly:

If that’s enough to sell you on seeing one of this year’s original additions to the Shudder streaming library, then you can safely leave this story and come back after you see The Room for yourself. However, if you’re intrigued as to what could have possible happened that’s surprised audiences in the final moments of this particular narrative, we’re about to dive in. This is the last call for spoilers, if you’re trying to avoid them.

So The Room basically ends with Olga Kurylenko’s Kate finding out that she’s pregnant. It’s about a month since she and her husband Matt (Kevin Janssens) survived their move into a fixer upper that included that magic, wish-fulfilling room we mentioned earlier. It’s because of The Room that Matt and Kate were able to have their previous child, Shane, in the first place. The big reason for that particular wrinkle is, after a period of lavish and outlandish wishes between the couple, Kate ultimately wished their first son into existence.

Shane's "birth" kicks off a whole section of The Room's narrative, as we learn Matt kind of resents his son's existence, as he believes wishing for a baby from The Room is very much over the line. Through a couple of incidents, the child ages at an accelerated rate, as anything that’s made in The Room won’t survive in the outside room. By the time the twisted third act kicks in, Shane’s a young man and motivated to do two very Freudian things: he wants to kill Matt, so he can have Kate all to himself. With attempted murder and sexual assault taking place in quick succession, the couple escape Shane's evil clutches, eventually tricking him into leaving the house.

The end result of The Room not only sees Shane aging into an old man, and eventually disintegrating into a pile of ash, but it has us questioning who the actual father of this new baby is. Is Kate's new potential child a product of her sleeping with Matt before the film’s dramatic conclusion, or did Shane’s actions somehow result in Kate becoming pregnant with his child? In discussing that ending directly with Olga Kurylenko, there’s one certainty at play: there’s no definitive answer at this moment. But there's definitely some interesting potential, as Kurylenko pondered this point with me as follows:

Should Christian Volckman want to pursue a sequel, or even an anthology in The Room’s universe, there are plenty of opportunities that are present from the way the first film ends. A new family could move into the house and deal with their own adventures in wish fulfillment gone horribly wrong, and the ramifications could examine a totally different scenario. If we’re being completely honest though, the priceless look of horrified surprise on Olga Kurylenko’s face at the end of The Room makes for the best case to continue with the narrative that’s already on the track.

The powers of a magical, wish-fulfilling room contained in a child’s body and mind is another time worn theme of sci-fi greatness. With an approach as ingenious as the one used in this current film’s examination of what happens when you get what you’ve always wanted, we could see another entertaining project that spins an old favorite in a new light. For now though, you can see Shudder’s original film The Room, which is currently available for streaming on its extremely horror/thriller friendly platform. Or if you’re not a subscriber, you can rent or own the film on Digital HD or DVD, as it has been released into the world this past week.

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people from all walks of life, and in the entertainment community, actress Olga Kurylenko is among the people who have been affected. Fortunately, Kurylenko, who played Camille Montes in 2008’s Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond movie, is already on the mend from the coronavirus.

Sharing a picture of herself with her son on Instagram, Olga Kurylenko gave a health update to her followers in the caption, saying:

Olga Kurylenko shared on March 15 that she’d caught the coronavirus, revealing that she’d been ill for almost a week by that point and that her main symptoms were a fever and fatigue. By March 18, Kurylenko not only clarified that she’d been specifically tested for coronavirus, but she also said that her fever was gone and shared the vitamins and supplements she was taking to “help the immune system.”

Now with the coronavirus behind her, she gave a recap of what she’s been through and assured fans that with the exception of a lingering cough, she’s doing quite well and is enjoying getting to be with her son. Olga Kurylenko just one of the actors who has caught the coronavirus over the last several weeks, with others including Tom Hanks, Idris Elba and Daniel Dae Kim.

Olga Kurylenko received a lot of attention for in Quantum of Solace, where Camille Montes was tracking down General Medrano, the man who murdered her family when she was a child. Because Medrano was in business with Quantum member Dominic Greene, Camille slept with him in order to get close to Medrano, and she subsequently crossed paths with Daniel Craig’s James Bond. With Bond’s help, Camille ultimately exacted vengeance on Medrano, and she and 007 went their separate ways by the end of the movie.

Although there were plans for Camille Montes to return in 2012’s Skyfall, Olga Kurylenko was absent from both that movie and 2015’s Spectre. Daniel Craig’s final James Bond outing, No Time to Die, opens in theaters this November, and while there will be plenty of returning faces, there’s no word about Camille showing up.

Olga Kurylenko’s other notable credits include Hitman, Oblivion, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, Johnny English Strikes Again and the Starz series Magic City. Her upcoming movies include Empires of the Deep and The Bay of Silence.

Along with the various actors who are dealing firsthand with this disease, the COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in numerous movies that were about to come out being delayed, including No Time to Die, which was originally supposed to come out next month. Plenty of movies and TV shows that were in the midst of production have also been halted until further notice.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on how the coronavirus is impacting the film industry, and look through our 2020 release schedule for what movies are still set to come out later this year.

At this point, with large portions of several countries shut down, and the Coronavirus having impacted a pretty significant portion of the planet, it's certainly clear that nobody is truly safe. Even Tom Hanks, globally recognized as the greatest living human being on the planet, has tested positive, and if just being the kindest person in the world can't keep you safe, nothing can. Now the Coronavirus has been confirmed to infect Bond Girls as well, which should simply not be allowed.

Actress Olga Kurylenko, who played Camile Montes in Quantum of Solace, and who has appeared in everything from Tom Cruise film Oblivion to Terry Gilliam's oft-delayed The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, recently confirmed to Instagram that she is now housebound after testing positive for Coronavirus. Check out her full comments below.

Olga Kurylenko reveals that she's actually been sick for about the last week suffering from a fever and fatigue. The purpose of her post, ultimately, is to try and help spread the word that the virus us serious business and that people should treat it as such. The Ukranian-born actress is a French citizen and currently lives in France.

While the 40-year-old Kurylenko will almost certainly be fine, her isolation will help keep her from infecting others, including those who might infect more at-risk groups. The actress doesn't reveal how she might have contracted the virus, it's possible she doesn't know.

Olga Kurylenko is far from the first to have a confirmed case of Coronavirus. Tom Hanks is probably the highest profile name to be dealing with the virus at this point. He and his wife Rita Wilson are in quarantine themselves in Australia, where Hanks was set to begin working on a new movie. In the same nation, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton is currently in isolation as he awaits the results of testing which should be coming this week. The production of both films are on hold for the moment.

Of course, the schedule of future films being put on hold is less important to the industry as a whole than the fact that film releases have also pressed pause, as nothing new is set to open wide in theaters until April at the earliest, and it seems quite possible that even the films still on the calendar could get pushed back as well.

Even for those not at-risk, Coronavirus sounds a particularly ugly way to get sick, and so doing what you can to avoid it feels like the right move. Not only do you avoid carrying the disease to somebody who might be more susceptible to it, but you avoid spending this period of social distancing feeling like hell. If you're just going to sit on the couch and binge watch movies, you might as well feel good while doing it.

Like any good rumor, the one related to a Wonder Woman appearance in Batman vs Superman has slowly generated more and more momentum. The whispers began back in October when the studio admitted it had plans for the crime fighter. They got a little louder thanks to some comments from a Warner Bros executive, and they really took off earlier this week when Thor actress Jaime Alexander kinda sorta implied she may have read the script. Well, the fine folks over at Warner Bros are still sticking by the long-winded no comments they’ve been uttering all along, but sources close to the production are singing a different tune.

According to Variety, three actress either have or will soon audition for a mysterious part in the upcoming Superman vs Batman film that sounds quite a bit like Diana Prince. Let me hit you with the casting description: "tall, brunette, athletic and exotic." That could easily be Wonder Woman, or less excitingly, it could be some new woman Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne will try to take back to his bat bedroom.

As for the specific actresses in play, the outlet claims the women are Olga Kurylenko of Magic City fame, G.I. Joe: Retaliation’s Elodie Yung and Gal Gadot from Fast And Furious. As per usual, however, if director Zack Snyder and the various other decision makers on the property aren’t seeing what they’re looking for, they will call in more hot foreign or foreign-ish dark haired women to fill what may well be one of the most sought-after female parts in the history of Hollywood.

So, is this actually going to turn out to be Wonder Woman? Well, the short answer is we don’t know. The long answer is there are distinct reasons to think both yes and no.

The case for yes: It would behoove Warner Bros and DC Comics to introduce as many characters into the universe in order to make a Justice League movie seem smooth and layered down the road. Beyond that, introducing upcoming characters would also make it easier to transition them into their own films later on. Marvel has greatly benefitted from planning so far ahead, and it stands to reason Warner Bros would want to take from their example. Besides, it benefits everyone in the known universe to have some more present superheroes that aren’t white dudes somewhere between twenty-five and fifty years old.

The case for no: If Warner Bros is really planning to make Wonder Woman as much of a priority as they seem to be indicating, it stands to reason they might be at least considering some bigger names. With all due respect to the three women involved here, I had to let you know what movies they’ve been in. Yes, it’s entirely possible they could ultimately choose an unknown, but it seems odd that they already would have made that decision before screentesting anyone. Beyond that, Bruce Wayne will need a love interest. If all of these Wonder Woman rumors hadn’t popped up already, we probably would have all assumed this random chick was simply going to be his one-off girlfriend in Batman vs Superman.

What do you think? Are you buying this rumor? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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From his debut with 1997’s darkly hilarious House of Yes to the…whatever Mr. Popper’s Penguins was, it’s almost impossible to gauge where director Mark Waters’ career is going to take him next. But if there is a detectable pattern to be found, it’s that his films usually contain very strong female performances. (Certainly with Mean Girls, but not so much for Mr. Popper.) Hopefully that’s the case with his upcoming adaptation of Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters, a film that just added another star-in-the-making to its cast. I mean, she has to be better than the title of this movie, right?

Former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko is set to star in Vampire Academy, which is adapted from the hugely successful young adult vampire series authored by Richelle Mead. This will just be another boost of popularity for the Ukrainian actress, who has had a monumental last year, co-starring in the hilarious Seven Psychopaths, Starz’s series Magic City, a Terrance Malick movie, and Philipp Stölzl’s feature debut Erased. Oh, and she’s opposite Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman in Oblivion. So I don’t think her performance in this film is going to hurt its box office.

Oddly enough, Deadline reports she’ll take the role of Kirova, the headmistress of the Academy where mental and spiritual besties Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch) and Lissa (Lucy Fry) attend school. Assuming this follows the trajectory of the first book, we’ll see Rose and instructor Dimitri (Danila Kozlovski) having a secret romance, and the ongoing unfriendliness with the Strigoi, the bad vampires. So Kirova doesn’t seem like it’ll be a particularly meaty role for Kurylenko to gnaw on, but perhaps screenwriter Daniel Waters flipped things up a bit.

Filming should begin in late May, and Vampire Academy will be put in theaters by for The Weinstein Co. sometime in 2014.

Avatar took us to a world beyond the stars. Lord of The Rings took us deep into the realm of Middle Earth, and now the ambitious fantasy adventure Empires of the Deep offers a journey leagues below the ocean's surface to a world where war rages, pulling man, mermaids, and all manner of fishy beast into the fray. Featuring explosions, giant shellfish and whales being used as battleships, the film's latest trailer viewable below has got it all. It only begs the question: who asked for this?

Twitch unveiled this promo along with some shocking facts about Empires of the Deep's path through production. This underwater epic was the brainchild of Jon Jiang, a Chinese real estate tycoon who fancies himself a screenwriter. His script plus a bunch of his own bank roll got this project rolling back in 2009, when Italian stunner Monica Bellucci was set to star and Pitof of Catwoman infamy was set to direct. However, both ended up splitting from the project, and ultimately were replaced by former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko and Michael French, who wrote and directed the little known drama Heart of a Dragon.

So with no big stars or a notable director, Empires of the Deep is left to sell itself on its story and spectacle, which is bad news from the looks of above. The feature's central plotline revolves around a pair of unlikely lovers (boy meets mermaid), and somehow an all out underwater war comes into play. As for the spectacle aspect, things look bleak on that front too with live-action scenes that seeming as low-budget as TV's Xena: Warrior Princess, and computer graphics that look like a video game from the early 2000s. And though you wouldn't guess it from the look of its trailer, Empires of the Deep came to cost more than $130 million. To put that figure into perspective, consider that each of The Lord of The Rings movies cost between $93-94 million.

There's no word yet on when Empires of the Deep may hit theaters.

When word hit that playwright turned filmmaker Martin McDonagh's follow-up to his directorial feature debut In Bruges was titled Seven Psychopaths, those familiar with his work were instantly intrigued. Beyond being a pretty excellent title that evokes a sense of grand storytelling and frenzy, the name promised at least seven new additions to McDonagh's catalogue of often violent but always humorous characters. And with CBS Film's release of individual character posters, you don't need to wait for the film to hit theaters to get to know these psychos.

Psycho number one is played by Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, who shares her poster with the pup at the film's center. Once her beau kidnaps the Shih Tzu of a Los Angeles crime lord, the lives of all seven psychopaths are thrown into spin. Image courtesy of Coming Soon.

Curiously, Christopher Walken's psychopath #2 is called the non-violent one. A dognapper who has gotten on the wrong side of organized crime, he did face down a gun toting baddie in the film's first trailer by—well—by just being Walken. Image courtesy of EW.

In Bruges star Colin Farrell is seemingly normal one, and psychopath #3, a screenwriter whose best friend's unconventional schemes put his own life on the line while offering some killer inspiration. Image courtesy of Fandango.

At last, the leader of this wacky dog-abducting syndicate is played by Sam Rockwell, who memorably co-starred with Walken in the Broadway production of McDonagh's The Behanding in Spokane. In Seven Psychopaths, he is number 4, boyfriend of 1, business partner of 2, and troublemaking best friend of 3. He also favors knitted caps that resemble raccoons. Image courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes.

Sucker Punch's Abbie Cornish is psychopath #5, whose favored weapon is passive-aggressive behavior most often wielded against her struggling screenwriter beau, #3. Image courtesy of MTV.

The most intriguing poster features psychopath #6, a mysterious man with a rabbit played by Tom Waits. Little is know about this strange figure but the bunny seems a callback to to McDonagh's Oscar-winning short Six Shooter, and so doesn't bode well for #6's sanity. Image courtesy of Hitflix.

And finally, Woody Harrelson stares us down as #7, the gangster whose dog—that he loves as much as Zombieland's Tallahassee loved his "pup"—has been snatched. So obviously, there will be blood. Image Courtesy of Vulture.

And there you have it: the seven psychopaths of Seven Psychopaths. The film will make its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival; a theatrical release will follow on October 12th.

Earlier this month there was a report that Jessica Chastain had entered talks to star in the next film from director Kathryn Bigelow, an untitled drama about SEAL Team 6 and and the killing of international terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. It was good news for fans of Bigelow, but also reason to worry for fans of Joseph Kosinski and Tom Cruise. The actress was supposed to appear in the science-fiction film Oblivion, but because the two projects will be in production simultaneously that obviously won't work. The end result is that Chastain has dropped out of Kosinski's movie and now she's been replaced.

THR reports that Andrea Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko have landed the two female leads in the project, which doesn't currently have a title (at one point the movie was also known as Horizons, but the new report says that title has been scrapped as well). Because it is unknown which role Chastain was going to play, it can't be said exactly which actress replaced her. The story is set in an apocalyptic future where people have been forced to move into the clouds, as the Earth is no longer hospitable. Cruise will play a repairman who is sent to the surface to work on drones that fend off alien invasions, but while there he meets a woman "who forces him to question his world view." Riseborough will play the woman on Earth while Kurylenko will be Cruise's "lover and partner" who grows jealous of the new woman in Cruise's character's life.

The project will go into production this March.

Though the next project from Tron: Legacy director Joe Kosinski has an official release date-- July 19, 2013-- and as of March had a confirmed leading man-- that'd be Tom Cruise-- we haven't heard much about it in the last few months. That seems to be ready to change as production starts to gear up. Variety has news that not only has the movie changed names, from Oblivion to the new working title Horizons, but five actresses are heading into the office to test for the lead role opposite Cruise.

They're saying that a laundry list of "hot-right-now" actresses will be testing for the part on Saturday- The Help and The Tree of Life breakout star Jessica Chastain, Tron: Legacy's own Olivia Wilde, Another Earth and Sundance fave Brit Marling, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo herself Noomi Rapace, and former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko. As for the title switch, that's not totally out of the blue-- we wrote back in March, when the project was still at Disney, that a new writer had been hired and the title had been changed to Horizons.

The new title seems to be better suited to the film's plot, though, which finds Cruise as a lonely soldier left on the surface of the Earth after everyone else has fled to live in the clouds and stay safely away from the aliens who have taken over the planet. Based on a plot description we heard over a year ago, the plot kicks off when this soldier "meets a woman stranded in a crash and the two take an epic adventure that changes his world view." Sounds not unlike what happens in Tron: Legacy except with the genders reversed-- no wonder Wilde is in the running for the role.

Kosinski has picked a good list of five women to put opposite Cruise, a slightly starrier version of the other shortlist of actresses vying to join him in One Shot. Though Horizons feels like slightly less of a must-see given the lackluster result of Tron: Legacy, Kosinski is still a director with a ton of clout for having just one feature behind him. Here's hoping that by tackling an original story he feels very attached to, he can manage to tell a story in Horizons that matches his obvious visual skill.

Starz is just about to begin production on Magic City, their new 10-part series set in 1950s Miami, and now they've added a few more actors to their already stacked cast. The show, which seems to be one-upping the Mad Men (and The Playboy Club) 1960s setting by going back another decade, is about the glamorous and often dangerous life of that era's Miami hotel and beach scene.

It was just announced that Michael Rispoli (The Sopranos), Seymour Cassel (Rushmore), and Yul Vazquez (Seinfeld... who doesn't want to wear the ribbon?) are joining the huge and talented cast that includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan (as the show's lead, hotel entrepreneur Ike Evans), Olga Kurylenko, Kelly Lynch, and Danny Huston. Magic City is the brainchild of writer-director Mitch Glazer, who's partly basing the show on his own childhood growing up in the late '50s on Miami Beach. No word on when the show will finally air, but it sounds like it might be worth keeping an eye on.

Here's the official synopsis: