Why Channing Tatum’s ‘Gambit’ Movie Never Happened
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ offers a fun and chaotic dive into the Marvel Multiverse, showcasing the endless possibilities within it. This ‘Deadpool’ sequel, a standout in the Multiverse Saga, follows Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) on an alternate-reality adventure that culminates in the Void at the end of time. There, they encounter various alternate-universe cameos that reference Marvel’s extensive film history, both within and outside the MCU.
The best cameos in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ come from the Others, a group of rebels opposing the villain Cassandra Nova’s rule over the Void. Notable appearances include Chris Evans as the Human Torch, Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, and Dafne Keen’s X-23. However, the most surprising cameo is ‘Gambit’, played by Channing Tatum, who nearly starred in his own ‘X-Men’ movie. So, what happened to Tatum’s ‘Gambit’ film, and why was it never released?
Also Read: Wade Wilson’s First Movie Appearance: Why It’s Not As Bad as Deadpool Thinks
Despite multiple efforts to include ‘Gambit’ in the ‘X-Men’ franchise, it never materialized. ‘Gambit’ was almost introduced as early as 2003’s ‘X2: X-Men United’ and was considered for 2007’s ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ but was cut both times. Fox persisted in finding an actor for ‘Gambit’, eventually casting Channing Tatum. Tatum was slated to appear in ‘The Last Stand’ but was ultimately replaced by Taylor Kitsch in ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ due to scheduling conflicts.
Fox announced a ‘Gambit’ solo movie starring Tatum in 2014, planning his introduction in ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’. Despite a script and an October 2016 release date, the film struggled to find a director. Rupert Wyatt initially signed on but left due to creative differences. Doug Liman then joined but exited after prolonged rewrites delayed the film indefinitely.
Channing Tatum remained passionate about playing ‘Gambit’, frequently updating fans. The project restarted in 2018 with director Gore Verbinski, but he also departed before production began. Fox delayed the release to February 2019, then removed it from the schedule entirely for more rewrites.
By the time Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, ‘Gambit’ had undergone numerous rewrites, lost several directors, and missed multiple release dates. With Disney streamlining Fox’s projects, ‘Gambit’ was among those cancelled.
Five years later, Tatum finally portrayed ‘Gambit’ in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, despite his solo film never coming to fruition. While fans may speculate on what the solo film could have been, its troubled development suggests it might never have succeeded, even without the Disney-Fox merger. Nonetheless, ‘Gambit’s’ future looks promising as the MCU integrates the X-Men.
–Farheen Ali
