"Woo, ah'm 'bout to make a name for mah-self 'ere."
20th Century Fox spent years trying to get a Gambit movie off the ground, facing constant creative issues. Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman, and Gore Verbinski were all attached to direct at one time or another but, just as the project started taking shape, the Disney/Fox merger happened.
We thought that was it for Channing Tatum's hope to play the iconic X-Man, but he got a second chance (well, maybe seventh or eighth given how many iterations Fox went through) to suit up as the Cajun in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Talking to Variety at the premiere of Blink Twice yesterday evening, Tatum was asked if he'll finally get his wish to star in a Gambit movie.
"I sure hope so," he told the trade. "From your mouth to God’s ears. Write it into existence, my friend. Please." As for whether he's spoken to Marvel Studios, Tatum added, "Of course I’ve said it. 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."
While we're not sure how likely a Gambit spin-off is - particularly with Marvel Studios planning to reboot the X-Men franchise - we'd be shocked if Tatum's take on the mutant isn't part of the team when we inevitably return to Earth-100005 in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars.
The actor credited Ryan Reynolds with his MCU debut in an Instagram post late last month. "I thought I had lost Gambit forever," he said, adding that his co-star "fought for me and Gambit."
"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."
"All things happen for a reason," Tatum continued. "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. LFG!"
Are you hoping to see more of this Gambit Variant in the MCU?
In our review Deadpool & Wolverine last month - which you can read by clicking here - we concluded by saying, "A contender for the best superhero movie ever, Deadpool & Wolverine is two hours of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman proving they were born to play these roles and, crucially, be part of the MCU. It’s a f***ing masterpiece."
Shawn Levy directs Deadpool & Wolverine, which stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Matthew Macfadyen, and Dafne Keen. The movie is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy.
Kevin Feige, Reynolds, Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey, Simon Kinberg and Jonathon Komack Martin serving as executive producers.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now playing in theaters.