logo
THUNDERBOLTS* Director Jake Schreier Talks About Olga Kurylenko's Reaction to Her Character's Fate in the Film — GeekTyrant

THUNDERBOLTS* Director Jake Schreier Talks About Olga Kurylenko's Reaction to Her Character's Fate in the Film — GeekTyrant

Geek Tyrant19-05-2025
We've written a couple of times about the surprising death of the character Antonia Dreykov, aka Taskmaster, played by actress Olga Kurylenko in Marvel's Thunderbolts* a couple of weeks ago.
It was one of those choices in a movie that you don't see coming, seeing as how that character was one of the core members of the team, but director Jake Schreier previously said to The New York Times that the decision was made when they realized how little bloodshed had happened in the first drafts of the film's script.
Schreier explained:
"That was a tough one because it's a character that matters to a lot of people and we don't want to take that lightly. That idea came after the strike when it just felt like the movie at that point was a little bloodless.
'It's not rated R, but if we were trying to tell a story that had real tension about people who killed people for a living, you needed to depict that in a way.
'Obviously, we could have introduced a new character and then gotten rid of them, but then it wouldn't have the resonance or potentially the shock of doing it to Taskmaster."
When asked asked how Olga Kurylenko reacted to the news of her character's early death, Schreier responded:
"It's not easy. It's like in sports: Players want to play. Olga's a great actress and of course that's a hard conversation to have, but she was an absolute pro about it and willing to show up, and I'm very grateful for that."
It was sad to see her character go. I loved her in Black Widow , and was interested in seeing her again, so it was too bad her screentime was cut short. But it did serve the story, and who knows, maybe we will see her again before the multiverse is closed for good.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps' rockets to $118 million
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps' rockets to $118 million

CNN

timea few seconds ago

  • CNN

‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps' rockets to $118 million

Disney's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' stormed the domestic box office, topping superhero competitor 'Superman' to finish No. 1 with $118 million. The reboot was a major comeback for the series, falling within range of analysts' expectations but short of a hopeful $130 million. 'Fantastic Four' is also the best-performing weekend for a Marvel film this year, easily surpassing 'Captain America: Brave New World' in February ($88.5 million) and 'Thunderbolts' in May ($74.3 million). 'This new phase for Marvel is truly important for the brand,' said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore, adding that it 'doubles down on the 'Thunderbolts' success and is showing that audiences love going to superhero movies in the movie theater.' Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder and owner of Box Office Theory, called 'Fantastic Four' a 'zero-homework-required' release, because it stands separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe's established storylines. 'That's exactly where their franchise needs to be right now, as they not only try to keep those die-hard fans but bring back some of the more casual watchers,' said Robbins. While some industry experts have said moviegoers may be experiencing 'superhero fatigue,' Daniel Loria, editorial director at BoxOffice Pro, said Marvel may be slowed by 'franchise fatigue.' Marvel Studios has released 37 movies since 'Iron Man' in 2008, with four 'Avengers' movies between 2012 and 2019 having combined to gross about $10 billion when adjusted for inflation. Perhaps adding to the Marvel fatigue was Disney releasing Marvel Cinematic Universe television series on its streaming service, which complicated the franchise, Dergarabedian said. It hasn't helped matters that since the pandemic, Marvel movies have failed to get off to a hot start, with 2024's 'Deadpool & Wolverine' ($211 million) and 2021's 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' ($260 million) being exceptions. 'So much of (the franchise) is readily available at home,' Loria said. 'I don't think 'Fantastic Four' plays into any of that. It's a fresh, new experience, and I think audiences are responding to that.' 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' should help lift the franchise after the box office disappointment of 20th Century Fox's 2015 'Fantastic Four,' which grossed just $76.3 million domestically during its entire run, adjusted for inflation. Finishing No. 2 at the domestic weekend box office was Warner Bros. Pictures' 'Superman,' which grossed nearly $25 million. 'Superman,' part of the revamped DC movie universe, has so far grossed $289.5 million since opening on July 11. Dergarabedian said that the success of this month's two superhero films shows that 'if that genre or category of film were to disappear, it'd be devastating for the industry.' Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN. Universal Pictures' 'Jurassic World Rebirth' came in third at the domestic box office, having grossed $13 million in its fourth week in theaters. It's grossed $301.51 million domestically so far. Robbins noted that there haven't been major examples of a DC and Marvel movie playing in theaters at the same time. He added that casual comic book fans who may normally pick one movie to see could make an exception to see both films in theaters. Loria cited a diverse slate of movies for continued moviegoing momentum. Aside from 'Superman' and 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' Paramount Pictures' comedy 'The Naked Gun,' which opens Friday, will open to offer 'a fresh, new genre.' This month's movie slate has lifted the box office 12.3% year-to-date compared to the same time last year, according to Comscore data. And the box office could still reach $4 billion this summer, Dergarabedian said, which would mark the second post-pandemic summer box office to reach that level. ''The Fantastic Four: First Steps' is going to fuel a very strong month of August. So what a great home stretch for the industry,' he said.

Jay Leno Warns Against One-Sided Political Jokes: ‘Why Shoot for Just Half an Audience?'
Jay Leno Warns Against One-Sided Political Jokes: ‘Why Shoot for Just Half an Audience?'

Yahoo

time28 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Jay Leno Warns Against One-Sided Political Jokes: ‘Why Shoot for Just Half an Audience?'

The former late night host's comments came days before Stephen Colbert announced the end of "The Late Show" Jay Leno has said for years that he doesn't understand why comedians would lean into one-sided political humor – and most recently cautioned against it just days before Stephen Colbert announced his late night show run on CBS was coming to an end. 'Comedy can be used to unite or divide people,' Leno said on July 15 during a conversation with David Trulio at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institution. Leno was asked for his thoughts on the intersection of comedic commentary and politics, two realms he sought for years to balance carefully. More from TheWrap Jay Leno Warns Against One-Sided Political Jokes: 'Why Shoot for Just Half an Audience?' | Video Speaker Mike Johnson Slams Ghislaine Maxwell's 20-Year Sentence: 'A Pittance' | Video The Best New Shows on Netflix in July 2025 Connie Chung Says 'Shame On' Shari Redstone and the Ellisons: 'I Fear the End of CBS as I Knew It' | Video The former late night host also said it was fun to receive letters from viewers who equally accused of him of being a Republican or a Democrat. They often were reacting to 'the same joke' he said, which was 'how you got the whole audience.' Leno reflected on his decades-long friendship with Rodney Dangerfield and noted, 'I knew Rodney for 40 years. I have no idea if he was Democrat or Republican. We never discussed it. We just discussed jokes.' 'And to me, I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from the things, you know, the pressures of life or whatever it might be — and I love political humor,' Leno continued. After he was asked how to find 'common ground' through humor, Leno insisted that only catering to one political persuasion was ineffective. 'Well, why shoot for just half an audience all the time? You know, why not try to get the whole, I mean, I like to bring people into the big picture,'' he said. 'I don't understand why you would alienate one particular group, you know, or just don't do it at all.' Watch the interview in the video above. The post Jay Leno Warns Against One-Sided Political Jokes: 'Why Shoot for Just Half an Audience?' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Hulu's Animated Series SOLAR OPPOSITES Gets a Teaser Trailer and Release Date For Its Sixth & Final Season — GeekTyrant
Hulu's Animated Series SOLAR OPPOSITES Gets a Teaser Trailer and Release Date For Its Sixth & Final Season — GeekTyrant

Geek Tyrant

time29 minutes ago

  • Geek Tyrant

Hulu's Animated Series SOLAR OPPOSITES Gets a Teaser Trailer and Release Date For Its Sixth & Final Season — GeekTyrant

Hulu has released a teaser trailer and release date for the sixth and final season of the hit animated series, Solar Opposites . In the animated comedy's final chapter, once their alien diamond making machine gets destroyed, the Solar Opposites must face their greatest challenge yet: living their expensive lives on a budget! When their consumerist habits and expensive hobbies are gone, only their true selves will remain… but will they like who they find? The series' main cast, including Dan Stevens, Thomas Middleditch, Mary Mack and Sean Giambrone, are joined in Season 6 by guest stars Tiffany Haddish, Kieran Culkin, Christina Hendricks, Ken Marino, Alfred Molina, Natalie Morales, Jerry O'Connell, and Beck Bennett. All 10 episodes of the final season of Solar Opposites will drop on October 13th on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. Check out the first-look photo above and watch the teaser below.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store