Channing Tatum Feels Marvel Needs To Do One Thing To Make Gambit Succeed

In Shawn Levy's superhero trifle "Deadpool & Wolverine," the two title heroes (Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman) find themselves in a parallel universe populated only by super-powered castoffs and costumed misfits who don't belong to the same universe as most of the better-known Marvel movie superheroes. The gag of the film, of course, is that most of the outcasts they encounter are unpopular characters culled from the last 20 years of superhero cinema. Chris Evans, for example, plays the Human Torch, a role he originated in 2005's "Fantastic Four." Wesley Snipes similarly returns to the role of Blade (a character he played in the late 1990s and early 2000s), while Jennifer Garner reprises her role of Elektra from 2003's "Daredevil" and the character's 2005 spin-off movie. The film is little more than a parade of cameos, designed specifically for those who have been reading superhero news websites for several decades.

In an oblique reference, Channing Tatum appears as Gambit, one of the more notable mutants from the "X-Men" franchise. Gambit is a fun-loving Cajun who can touch inanimate objects and make them explosive by infusing them with kinetic energy. His appearance in "Deadpool & Wolverine" was a glorified reference to a "Gambit" feature film that was never made. As long ago as 2009, Tatum wanted to play Gambit, and In 2014, it was announced that "Gambit" was moving forward with Tatum attached to star. That version went through an intense development process, however, passing through several directors' hands (Edgar Wright's among them) before dying entirely. In other words, Tatum's role in "Deadpool & Wolverine" was a wink to all the people who wanted to see the actor play the character.

That's not the end of it, either. Thanks to the success of that movie, Tatum will return as Gambit in the upcoming mega-superhero tentpole "Avengers: Doomsday." Speaking to Variety, the actor said his "singular focus" is currently on playing Gambit to the utmost of his abilities in the film. He also said he knows the secret to making Gambit work: The character, a notorious party boy, needs a moment when he can be serious.

Tatum, it should also be noted, was once prepared to co-direct "Gambit," as he had become wholly invested in the project. It wasn't until Disney purchased Fox's movie and TV library that the whole thing started to truly fall apart, with Disney's absorption of the Fox-owned X-Men properties killing the endeavor for good. It took a smart-aleck like Reynolds to then make Tatum as Gambit a reality and renew interest in him playing the mutant. In the past, Tatum has said that he was relieved things worked out this way, as his own vision for "Gambit" wasn't all it could have been. As he remarked to Variety, "The universe just saved us. [...] We would have failed so hard."

Tatum is also well-aware that Gambit was presented comedically in "Deadpool & Wolverine," being shouldered with an impenetrable Cajun accent. He wanted to assure Variety's readers that his "Doomsday" appearance will be less whimsical and easier to understand. Indeed, Tatum feels that the best way to make Gambit an effective character is to give him a moment when he can drop his "party boy" persona and knuckle under to fight a bad guy. In his own words:

"I'm not going to go full Cajun. [The directors] want things to be funny, but they don't want to go full 'Deadpool.' They want to keep the drama and keep it tight. When Gambit gets serious — when he drops the Mardi Gras mask — things do matter."

Gambit's actual role in "Doomsday," or how the character will flee his personal parallel universe, have yet to be revealed ahead of the film's scheduled release on December 18, 2026. In the meantime, Tatum can be seen in the biographical crime comedy "Roofman," which is due in theaters on October 10, 2025.