It is actually quite surprising how long it took Channing Tatum to have a role in the MCU considering how long he has been in the film industry. Over the years since the MCU first began, there are hardly any actors in Hollywood who have not ended in a Marvel movie or show at some point in their career.
Tatum happens to be one of those who did not get the chance to be part of an MCU project although he was once attached to a standalone project for the screen adaptation of the X-Man, Gambit. Luckily for him, Ryan Reynolds found a way to get him a cameo in the blockbuster film Deadpool & Wolverine, and now Tatum is asking fans to help him make his dream for a standalone movie come true.
Channing Tatum Requests Fans to Get Marvel to Let Him Do a Solo Gambit Movie
Before Channing Tatum stepped foot in the entertainment industry, he worked some odd jobs like being a roofer and even working as a stripper at a local nightclub in Florida. His first stint in Hollywood was as a dancer in the 2000 music video She Bangs. He landed some modeling gigs before making his film debut in 2005’s Coach Carter.
It was his wish to make his experience as a stripper known to the world that landed him his breakthrough role in 2012’s Magic Mike. He has played several other great roles throughout his career, but the one character that he really wants to play and never got the chance to is the mutant Remy LeBeau/Gambit.
After spending 5 years in developmental hell, the solo movie succumbed to its cancellation in 2019. At long last, Tatum got to portray the character in Deadpool & Wolverine and seems to be just as interested in a solo movie.
During the premiere of his movie Blink Twice at DGA in West Hollywood, when asked if his solo movie is finally going to come to fruition, he told Variety:
I sure hope so. From your mouth to God’s ears. Write it into existence, my friend. Please.
The Disney-Fox merger was the cause of the film’s cancellation, but Tatum has not been sitting quietly about it. He further said:
I’ve 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.
The She’s the Man actor really is in need of prayers, considering that so far Marvel has made no moves or announcements whatsoever for any other live-action X-Men projects except Deadpool & Wolverine, which featured some cameos.
Channing Tatum is Grateful to Ryan Reynolds for the Cameo
If there is one person who understands Tatum’s pain, it is Reynolds, who struggled for years to get the first Deadpool movie made. For him too, things started with a cameo in an X-Men movie, but it took several years for the solo movie to be greenlit.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, the Step Up star made sure to thank Reynolds for his huge contribution to bringing Gambit to the big screen.
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.
The post included two pictures of the actors at the San Diego Comic-Con ten years apart. Tatum also stated that he did not know the Green Lantern star well back then, but he has always had his back all these years. Reynolds truly seems to be the kind of friend everyone wants.
Deadpool & Wolverine, now in theatres.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Channing Tatum’s solo Gambit movie get cancelled?
The Gambit solo film spent about five years in development hell before it was ultimately cancelled in 2019. The article reports that the Disney-Fox merger was the underlying cause, as the deal reshuffled X-Men film rights and priorities, leaving the long-gestating Gambit project without a path forward at the studio.
How did Channing Tatum finally get to play Gambit on screen?
After his solo movie fell apart, Tatum eventually portrayed Remy LeBeau/Gambit through a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine. The article states Ryan Reynolds was instrumental in securing that opportunity, fighting to bring Tatum’s Gambit into the film after Tatum believed the character was lost to him for good.
What did Channing Tatum say about a future solo Gambit movie?
Speaking to Variety at the Blink Twice premiere, Tatum said he has wanted a solo Gambit film for ten years and called it something “in Bob Iger and Kevin Feige’s hands.” He asked fans to help make it happen, saying, “Write it into existence, my friend. Please.”
