6 Most Likely Characters Channing Tatum Could Be Playing In The DC FILMS UNIVERSE

6 Most Likely Characters Channing Tatum Could Be Playing In The DC FILMS UNIVERSE

With speculation running rampant that Channing Tatum may have departed Gambit to join the DC Films Universe, we break down which six characters are the most likely candidates for who he's playing...

Feature Opinion
By JoshWilding - Jun 06, 2016 01:06 PM EST
Filed Under: The Flash
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Over the weekend, speculation that Channing Tatum may have chosen to abandon Gambit for a role in the DC Films Universe started. Based solely off The Flash director Rick Famuyiwa following the actor among a bunch of other DC Comics related accounts, it admittedly feels like a stretch, but we've seen stranger things happen over the years and no one would blame Tatum for leaving Gambit.
 
After all, he's already come close to doing so once before, and with the X-Men spinoff losing its director not too long ago, Gambit went from being released this October to not even having a set date. 
 
So, if for a minute we assume that Tatum has indeed landed a role in a future DC Films Universe property (and it's entirely possible that he could do that and Gambit, especially after all those delays), which character should he play? Having delivered impressive performances in the likes of Foxcatcher, Jump Street, The Hateful Eight, and yes, even Magic Mike, there are many it's clear he would be pretty well suited to, and what you'll find here are the six best - and most likely - possibilities...

6. Shazam

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Seeing Dwayne Johnson play Black Adam is going to be awesome, but Warner Bros. have painted themselves into a corner by casting him as the villain rather than the lead. That's because there's a very real possibility that Shazam is going to end up being overshadowed in his own movie, so finding someone who can hold their own opposite the wrestler turned actor on the big screen is essential.

An actor who could arguably manage that is Channing Tatum, especially as the chemistry between him and Johnson during the few scenes they shared in G.I. Joe: Retaliation proved to be a highlight of that otherwise forgettable movie. It's surprisingly easy to imagine Tatum playing a kid who finds himself in an incredibly powerful adult's body, and he definitely has the physicality a role like this needs.

5. Booster Gold

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The time travelling Booster Gold arrived in the 21st Century to become the hero he never was in his own time, and despite a cocky attitude, he grew to be a real team player over the years by becoming a key part of many superhero groups. It's that sort of story arc which we should probably expect to see play out in the fan-favourite character's planned solo outing before he ends up factoring into the Justice League franchise somewhere down the line.

Tatum feels like a good choice to take on both the character and that type of story arc, and we know from the Jump Street movies that he could effortlessly handle Booster's larger than life and very humorous personality. If Warner Bros. really is looking to lighten up the DC Films Universe after the mixed response to the moody Batman v Superman, then getting an actor with comedy credentials would be smart. Plus, the time travelling hero first showing up in The Flash does make some sense given The Fastest Man Alive's habit of messing around with that...

4. Kalibak

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Rumour has it that Darkseid won't be the main villain of Justice League. Instead, it will be Steppenwolf who takes centre stage, with Darkseid only briefly appearing in order to set up the sequel, an interesting approach considering the fact that if Zack Snyder drops the ball again here, he more than likely won't be back for the follow-up! Still, if we're going to spend an entire movie with the villain's henchmen rather than the main man himself, it seems like Kalibak showing up is a near certainty. 

A New God of Apokolips and son of Darkseid, he serves as his father's second-in-command, and will no doubt be right there alongside his uncle to dole out some beatings to the League. While Tatum doesn't necessarily look the part, some make-up effects and CGI could do wonders, and seeing the actor going toe to toe with Henry Cavill's Superman or Jason Momoa's Aquaman definitely has some appeal. The advantage to Tatum being cast in a role like this is that it would likely leave him free to play a one off villain here and then a superhero for Fox. 
 

3. Captain Cold

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Seeing as Rick Famuyiwa was the one who followed Tatum, it makes sense to speculate that the DC Comics adaptation the actor has landed a role in is The Flash. Assuming for a second that the actor does show up in the Scarlet Speedster's solo outing, who better for him to play than the leader of The Rogues? Rumours have been doing the rounds for a while now that they'll be the focus of this movie, and that could explain why we haven't seen them on TV. 

Of course, Wentworth Miller has been an incredible Captain Cold on the small screen, but with the events of Legends of Tomorrow seemingly pointing to his role in the DC TV Universe being lessened (at least during adventures set in the present day), this villain being The Flash's main foe in 2018 does make sense. It's easy to picture Tatum playing the character in a much less campy fashion, with him instead bringing a harder edge to the cold blooded criminal who wants nothing more than to put Central City's hero on ice. In fact, picture Tatum's character from The Hateful Eight in a parka, and you'll see how good this could be. 
 

2. Orion

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Going back to Darkseid's family, and another very interesting character to explore on the big screen in the near futre would be Orion, the villain's second son who was swapped at birth and grew up to become New Genesis' greatest defender. The New God constantly struggles to maintain the balance between his peaceful upbringing and brutal nature, something which would be a challenge for Tatum, but a role he could no doubt pull off (just look at what he delivered in Foxcatcher if you need proof that he's capable of handling such a psychologically demanding role).

A character with spinoff potential, casting a big name like Tatum for Orion would be clever move on the studio's part too. Oh, and bearing in mind that it looks like Steve Trevor is going to make just a one off appearance during World War I, Wonder Woman could do with a new love interest in the present day, and based on their chemistry in her series at the start of The New 52, Orion may very well be a suitable candidate to join her franchise in that capacity. 

1. Green Lantern

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For reasons unknown, Green Lantern is being excluded from both Justice League movies (it's been said that the character could appear in the sequel, but not with a great deal of confidence). In fact, there's a chance we won't see Hal Jordan again until Green Lantern Corps is released in 2020, a shocking nine year wait from the critically panned instalment released in 2011. When the character does return though, why couldn't Channing Tatum play him?

He certainly looks the part of Hal Jordan, and while many fans are quick to dismiss his abilities as an actor, there's nothing to say he's not capable of delivering the best take on Green Lantern to date. Tatum is also a box office draw, something you know Warner Bros. is going to want for a movie which is sure to be among their riskiest, especially as many won't have forgotten how bad the character's big screen debut was even all those years later. 


On the slim chance Channing Tatum is about to join the DC Films Universe, who would you like to see him play? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. 

 
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kingsupreeth
kingsupreeth - 6/6/2016, 12:52 PM
I'd love him as Shazam
TheBlackSaint
TheBlackSaint - 6/6/2016, 12:58 PM
@kingsupreeth - Any action movie he's in will fail, he's a mediocre actor at best. I don't want him in the comic book world. Let him continue dancing and making comedies.
JonAwesome
JonAwesome - 6/6/2016, 12:55 PM
I'm glad you fixed this Josh!
superbigguy32
superbigguy32 - 6/6/2016, 12:56 PM
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