Marvel Studios only had one movie to divert all of its marketing resources to in 2024, and with the combined power of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as dual leads, Deadpool & Wolverine became the biggest R-rated film ever. Fans were expecting the movie to be a major multiversal blowout flush with cameos, but one of the biggest shocks comes just after the one-hour, when Channing Tatum steps onto the screen donning full Gambit attire and soaking up every line with a thick Cajun accent. Tatum had previously been attached to star alongside Lizzy Caplan in a solo Gambit movie that struggled to make it off the ground, but the project was killed in 2019. Now, six years later, Caplan has shared some details to Business Insider about what the project would have looked like had it come to fruition:
“It was a really cool idea. It’s kind of odd that it got scrapped. Those movies don’t seem to ever get scrapped, but it did. We got down the road, we were gonna shoot it. I think there was a start date. I had meetings with Channing, we had a director, then we didn’t, but I had multiple meetings with Channing and the other producers. They wanted to do, like, a ’30s kind of screwball romantic comedy set in that world, which would have been really fun.”
Tatum’s Gambit movie is one of those things that unfolded during an unfortunate transitional period. Had it come along five years early, it perhaps would have fit into the Fox X-Men universe before it became part of the Disney conglomerate, but all hope isn’t lost. Tatum’s Gambit was received extremely well by general audiences, and Ryan Reynolds even went as far as to say Marvel was “obsessed” with his portrayal of the character. Reynolds also shared in the wake of Deadpool & Wolverine that he may not have another solo outing in him as the infamous Merc With a Mouth, but that he would love to appear in someone else’s movie. Whether it’s part of the X-Men team or in a solo Spotlight project, fans remain hopeful that we haven’t seen the last of Channing Tatum’s Gambit.
What’s Next for Channing Tatum?
It has yet to be announced if Tatum will return as Gambit in a future Marvel project, but he’s still the textbook definition of booked and busy. He will next be seen alongside Juno Temple, Ben Mendelsohn, and Kirsten Dunst in Roofman, the upcoming crime thriller from Derek Cianfrance that’s been set for release on October 3. He is also attached to feature opposite Cate Blanchett and Dave Bautista in Alpha One, and he’ll reunite with his Deadpool & Wolverine co-star Ryan Reynolds for Calamity Hustle, the upcoming comedy from Aaron and Adam Nee.
There has been no official confirmation of a new project for Channing Tatum’s Gambit. Stay tuned to Collider for potential updates on the situation and watch Deadpool & Wolverine on Disney+.
via Collider