As a long-time Marvel fan and gamer, I couldn’t contain my excitement when I heard that Channing Tatum was finally making his debut as Gambit in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The anticipation had been building for over two decades since Tatum first expressed interest in the role back in 2006.
Deadpool & Wolverine is Marvel Studios’s love letter to the 20th Century Fox superhero films that paved the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Going into its theatrical debut, Deadpool & Wolverine promotional material placed Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s titular mutants at the forefront, weaving the two popular X-Men into the MCU alongside a family of familiar faces. Deadpool & Wolverine trailers revealed that Aaron Stanford’s Pyro (X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand), Tyler Mane’s Sabretooth (X-Men), Dafne Keen’s X-23 (Logan) and many more would be reprising their roles within The Void, the Time Variance Authority’s wasteland where variants go to rot.
WARNING – The rest of this article contains major spoilers from Deadpool & Wolverine.
Veteran Actor Makes Long-Awaited Debut as Popular X-Man
Not all of those Deadpool & Wolverine cameos were reprisals.
In the closing stages of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Jennifer Garner’s character, Elektra, leads Wade Wilson (Deadpool) and Logan (Wolverine) to a hidden safe haven within The Void. There, she presents her unexpected guests to the other residents: Wesley Snipes as Blade and Channing Tatum as Gambit.
As a gamer, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Tatum’s role in “Tatum’s Gambit” went beyond just making an appearance. He became a significant character in the second half of the movie. I shared numerous scenes with the crew and used my unique abilities to take on Cassandra Nova’s different versions. With my charged playing cards and trusty bow staff, I delivered powerful blows that left a lasting impact.
Channing Tatum’s Lengthy History With Gambit Explained
Channing Tatum’s debut as Gambit has been 20 years in the making.
During the filming of “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006), Bryan Singer, the director of the first two “X-Men” films, planned to feature Gambit prominently. However, he didn’t come back to direct the third installment. Instead, Tatum was chosen to portray Gambit before the role was eventually removed from the script.
In the film “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009), the roles were reversed. Originally, it was Gambit who was set to appear in the movie, but this time around, it was Taylor Lautner (replacing Tatum) who faced conflict as he was scheduled to film “GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra” concurrently with the production of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” Instead, Tatum’s role went to Taylor Kitsch, and he signed a three-picture deal. However, the underperformance of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” critically hindered any potential future plans for more movies in the series, ultimately derailing Kitsch’s planned progression as Gambit.
In the mid-2010s, it seemed that everything fell into place for Tatum to star in the “Gambit” film. As early as January 2014, producer Lauren Shuler Donner of the “X-Men” franchise announced that plans for a Tatum-led project were underway. Tatum formally agreed to take on the role in May of that year. Fox aimed to introduce Tatum’s Gambit in “X-Men: Apocalypse,” which was released in 2016, and then establish his own franchise. Tatum made his public debut as Gambit at Comic-Con San Diego 2015, sharing the stage with the casts of “X-Men Apocalypse” and “Deadpool.” Fox was keen on the character, as they intended for Tatum to succeed Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine when he eventually left the franchise.
At Comic-Con in San Diego, the momentum for “Gambit” reached its height. The film went through several director changes. Initially, Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) was set to direct, but he left in September 2015 due to scheduling problems and a significant budget adjustment. Doug Liman (“The Bourne Identity”) then stepped in with filming planned for March 2016. However, Liman departed later that summer due to what was termed a “mutual decision.” Lastly, Gore Verbinski (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) came on board, aiming for a March 2018 production start. But Verbinski exited soon after, citing scheduling conflicts and creative disagreements.
In early 2019, as a final attempt to save the project, Channing Tatum announced his intention to both produce and direct “Gambit” in collaboration with producing partner Reid Carolin. However, Disney’s acquisition of Fox in March 2019 resulted in the film’s cancellation that very May.
Five years following the seemingly fatal turn of events for Tatum’s Gambit in “21 Jump Street,” the actor realized his most significant career curiosity in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” It remains unclear if Marvel Studios intends to revive Tatum as Gambit, but given the expansiveness of the multiverse, anything could transpire.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now in theaters.
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2024-07-29 16:40