Deadpool and Wolverine might be all the hype right now when it comes to X-Men-affiliated characters making their grand appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with news that Hugh Jackman is officially reprising his role as Logan in Deadpool 3, but there’s another actor who’s still holding out hope that the X-Men character he’s been yearning to play on the silver screen will still someday become a reality. Namely, Channing Tatum of Magic Mike and 21 Jump Street fame. And his mutant of desire? The charming thief with the mutant ability to charge inanimate objects and make them explode — the smooth talking Cajun, Remy LeBeau AKA Gambit.
Tatum revealed that he and his producing partner, Reid Carolin, had mapped out a “raunchy stand-alone” Gambit movie for four years and while Fox had intended to release Gambit in theaters in 2020, the whole deal went awry when, “[the film] got swallowed up into Disney by way of Marvel when they bought Fox.”
When asked why there had been zero news on a Gambit movie starring Tatum still being made, Tatum conceded that his Gambit move was probably “far from what [Disney] wanted to do.”
“Ultimately I just think that the tone of the movie we wanted to make was very far from what they wanted to do—or, you know, maybe they’re waiting to see how they do it with us or without us,” Tatum said in an interview with Vanity Fair.
While Tatum professes that the chances for his Gambit movie getting made have probably gone down since the Disney/Fox merger, he does still contact Marvel Studios from time to time to see if there’s still anything there.
“We call every once in a while, but we’ve got to spiritually, emotionally, kind of mentally let it go,” Tatum said.
Tatum has stated in past interviews that he “would love to play Gambit” and that he likened losing the part of Gambit to the Disney merger as “losing a friend.”
“I shut off my Marvel machine,” Tatum told Variety. “I haven’t been able to see any of the movies. I loved that character. It was just too sad. It was like losing a friend because I was so ready to play him.”
Carolin added that he hopes Disney and Kevin Feige reconsider a Gambit movie, “because it’s a pretty great project.” Although Tatum and Carolin had initially expressed their desire to potentially helm the film, with Tatum possibly in the position of director, Tatum has since reconsidered.
“Uh, yeah, I would love to play Gambit,” Tatum said. “I don’t think we should direct it. I think that was hubris on our part.”
What do you think of the fact that Channing Tatum is still pushing for Marvel to make his Gambit movie? Do you think a Gambit movie could work with Tatum in the starring role or would the character need to be introduced alongside other X-Men first? Let us know what you think in the comments.
