Channing Tatum really did make a name for himself here! Ryan Reynolds recently revealed that Marvel Studios has fallen in love with the actor’s take on Gambit.
Fans expected a lot of things from Deadpool and Wolverine. However, almost nobody could have expected that breakout star from the film would have been Channing Tatum. The actor played a truly electrifying version of Gambit that managed to balance both the goofy side of his hero with a genuine cool factor. According to Ryan Reynolds, Marvel responded to the role just as well as fans.
“I honestly don’t know what goes on behind closed doors in the bookkeeping sessions at Marvel, but I do know that they’re obsessed with him in that role,” Reynolds explained during a recent appearance on Entertainment Weekly‘s Awardist podcast. “It’s kind of like the same situation I went through. Once you show that it works well, that’s really what they need. Sometimes they just need to see it in action.”
Of course, Marvel enjoying Channing Tatum’s take on Gambit doesn’t guarantee that he’ll play the MCU’s version of the character. However, it does show good signs that Tatum himself might be involved in the development of any project that does come about, especially given how long he’s been involved with making a solo film for the character.
Channing Tatum’s Long History With Gambit
Many fans that watched Deadpool and Wolverine likely saw Channing Tatum’s appearance as Gambit as nothing more than a small cameo by a friend. However, his role as the cocky Cajun is a culmination of nearly two decades of studio politics over Marvel’s divided rights for their characters.
Channing Tatum was in talks to play Gambit as early as 2006. However, rewrites and delays meant that his character never made it into a proper X-Men film. While work on a solo film can be traced back to 2014, development issues lead to continual delays, before ultimately being scrapped by Marvel Studios after Disney purchased 20th Century Fox back in 2019.
Deadpool and Wolverine is now available for digital purchase. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!