After Channing Tatum expressed interest in playing Gambit, X-Men franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner wasted no time in signing him up to play the character in a solo movie.
Multiple attempts were made to get cameras rolling on the project, with Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman, and Gore Verbinski all attached to direct at one time or another. However, just as it began to take shape, the Disney/Fox merger occurred, and Gambit fell by the wayside.
Ryan Reynolds pushed to give Tatum another chance, and he made his surprise MCU debut as Remy LeBeau in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine. The Roofman star's portrayal of Gambit was a hit with fans, meaning Avengers: Doomsday is now up next for the actor alongside the rest of the X-Men.
Talking to Variety, Tatum reflected on Deadpool & Wolverine by saying, "It was the most high-stakes cosplay of all time. I looked around and saw Deadpool, Wolverine, Blade — and I’m standing there in full Gambit. I had this out-of-body kid moment."
He went on to claim that Marvel Studios "has ideas" for the character moving forward, adding, "If the fans really want it, I think there’s a world where Gambit could finally get his due." In other words, there's a chance he'll continue playing the hero beyond Avengers: Secret Wars.
However, he doesn't anticipate his unmade Gambit movie being part of those potential plans.
"Look, if we’d made our Fox version, that script would’ve never gotten made — ever. It was an R-rated romantic comedy," Tatum explained. "And when I say R-rated, I mean we went for it. We made Gambit the kind of character who could only exist in a movie with Deadpool. We had mutants having sex! It was wild — full-on."
"That’s something Marvel and Disney would never do. You don’t always know what Disney will be, but you definitely know what it’s not going to be. It’s not gonna be horror. It’s not gonna be sex," he continued. "But I think Marvel needs that kind of tonal diversity; something to balance the other side. Gambit’s a great opportunity for that."
"There’s so much you can do with him, and he’s slowly being built into the Marvel psyche. It’s fascinating, and I think one day they’ll figure it out."
Marvel Studios has proven itself open to telling R-rated stories when the story is right, but how much demand there is for any version of Gambit is hard to say in this era of "superhero fatigue." Still, with Reynolds reportedly developing X-Force, there could be a place for the Cajun there.
Would you like to see a Gambit movie in the MCU?