Channing Tatum was attached to the Gambit movie originally set for release in 2016. 20th Century Fox made multiple attempts to get the project into theaters, burning through filmmakers like Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman, and Gore Verbinski.
X-Men franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner essentially cast Tatum on a whim, as he'd repeatedly expressed an interest in playing Remy LeBeau in multiple interviews. That left X-Men Origins: Wolverine star Taylor Kitsch out in the cold.
It's been reported that Tatum was Fox's first choice for the 2009 spin-off, so the actor getting to play Gambit in last summer's Deadpool & Wolverine was a full circle moment for the Magic Mike and 21 Jump Street star.
Screen Rant recently spoke with Kitsch about Prime Video's The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, prompting him to break his silence on being replaced by Tatum (who will reprise the role in next December's Avengers: Doomsday).
"I have not," Kitsch replied when asked if he's seen Tatum's version of Gambit. Asked if that was a sore subject, he added, "No, no, not at all, man. That's the business, man. It's all good. It's like I love the path I'm on and the actor I've become and the stories I'm engaging in. No pun intended, here's a quote for you, but Gambit wasn't in the cards for me, man."
"Never say never, but I don't know, man," Kitsch said of Gambit now being in his rearview. "I don't know. I love where I'm at, man, so I have no regrets with it. It just wasn't, sometimes it's not in my power to say who's who or who gets to play what. So I can only focus on the people that want to work with me and collaborate with me."
You have to feel for Kitsch, though it's been a very long time since he first played Gambit, and he's clearly moved on from the role. Tatum was always going to be the bigger drawer, and the character is one he appears far more passionate about.
"I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But [Ryan Reynolds] fought for me and Gambit," Tatum said of his MCU debut shortly after the release of Deadpool & Wolverine. "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."
"I love ya buddy...I’m so grateful to be in this movie. It’s a masterpiece in my opinion. And just pure bad ass joy. I was literally screaming in the theater."
In a later interview, Tatum confirmed that he remains interested in making a standalone Gambit movie, noting, "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."
Do you think Kitsch should have been brought back as Gambit for Deadpool & Wolverine?