Channing Tatum finally got to play the long-teased Gambit courtesy of Ryan Reynolds casting him in Deadpool & Wolverine.
When the X-Men movie series was in full swing, the studio knew they could make any spinoff they wanted. And while they certainly did at one point try to make the franchise the most exploratory in all of the comic book genre, a lot has been left on the table. One project that got sidetracked and eventually discarded was a Gambit movie starring Channing Tatum, who would have taken over for Taylor Kitsch. This, as we know, never found its footing, going through numerous phases and directors. As such, Channing Tatum never got his chance to play Gambit…until Deadpool & Wolverine, that is, popping in for a cameo that paid homage to this failed project.
This week, Channing Tatum took to social media to express his gratitude to Ryan Reyolds for letting him take his last stand – or, rather, first stand – as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine. “These pictures are almost 10 years apart to the day. I sat in the audience when Ryan showed his first peek of Deadpool 1 to the world and I think I ran back stage right after and found him and I think I just hugged him and was like holy shit you did it man. It’s perfect. I didn’t know him really at all back then. But since then I can say that there is almost no one that has had my back in this industry more than Ryan.”
As we know, Deadpool & Wolverine is filled with cameos from all sorts of Marvel characters from future past, but most are with stars reprising their roles, as with Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Elektra and so many more. But for Channing Tatum, the movie offered his chance to right some wrongs, adding, “I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But he fought for me and Gambit. I will owe him probably forever. Cause I’m not sure how I could ever do something that would be equal to what this has meant to me. I love ya buddy. Shawn Levy as well. Truly such a brilliant creator on every single level. All things happen for a reason. I’m so grateful to be in this movie. It’s a masterpiece in my opinion. And just pure bad ass joy. I was literally screaming in the theater. LFG!!”
Channing Tatum has explained why his Gambit movie never took off before, suggesting it became a victim of timing and studio purchases, becoming one of the projects that didn’t quite match the tone they were after. As such, Tatum had to essentially block it out and know that it would never happen. And it likely never will. While it was awesome to see Tatum suit up, there just might not be that much of a desire for a standalone Gambit flick at this point.
What did you think of Channing Tatum’s cameo as Gambit? Would he have made a good version of the X-Men character? Deal us your thoughts below!