Channing Tatum isn’t giving up on Gambit
Even the most ardent fans of the character might have given up by now, but Channing Tatum still harbors the hope of seeing the Gambit movie come to fruition one day.
Tatum’s new film Blink Twice, directed by Zoë Kravitz in her directorial debut, is in theaters currently and had its premiere last Thursday. During the event, Tatum was asked by Variety about the possibility of a Gambit film considering the actor is fresh off playing the part in Marvel’s latest release, Deadpool & Wolverine.
Tatum responded: “I sure hope so. From your mouth to God’s ears. Write it into existence, my friend. Please.”
Tatum continued, sending a Hail Mary Kevin Feige and Bob Iger’s way while confirming that he has already presented Marvel with his intention to make a Gambit film.
“Of course I’ve said it. I’ve been saying I want it for the last 10 years, it’s in Bob Iger and Kevin Feige’s hands. I pray to God,” Tatum told the outlet.
Tatum has had tough luck with the project so far, as he and his producing partner Reid Carolin spent four years developing the movie, only for it to be shelved after Disney acquired Fox in 2019. The 21 Jump Street was elated when he was offered the chance to portray the Marvel Comics character in Deadpool & Wolverine. His excitement was visible in the Instagram post he dedicated to Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy, thanking them for resurrecting the character.
Despite Tatum’s enthusiasm regarding the prospective project, it remains to be seen whether the movie will be greenlit by Disney bosses or not. While Gambit is not one of the more popular IPs Marvel possesses, the character certainly onboarded a barrage of fans following the release of Deadpool 3.
In an ocean of sublime cameos, Tatum stands out as the card-hurling mutant, going toe-to-toe with Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in the action sequences. The third and possibly the last film in the Deadpool series might have served as the ideal audition moment for Tatum, who first expressed interest in playing the part in September 2013.
Gambit first appeared in mainstream cinema in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the film that also marked Reynolds’ debut as Deadpool. The character was played by Taylor Kitsch then, but his rendition of the role wasn’t received as well as the Fox executives were hoping at the time. Kitsch was to be replaced by Tatum for future portrayals of Gambit, but the film instead went through development hell for years after officially being canceled in May 2019.
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