Warning: This article includes spoilers from Deadpool & Wolverine.
Summary
After being united forDeadpool & Wolverine, Shawn Levy opens up about how he was very close to directing Channing Tatum’sGambitmovie prior to theMarvel Cinematic Universeteam-up. Anyone who followed the development hell of his solo film easily understoodthe references inDeadpool & Wolverinewhen it came to Tatum’s debut as Gambit. Tatum was one of several surprises thatDeadpool & Wolverinehad in store for the audience, as the Phase 5 adventure celebrated the Fox-Marvel movie era.
In a new interview withThe New York Times, Levy went more in-depth about getting Tatum as one of the majorMarvel cameos inDeadpool & Wolverine. However, it turns out the two Hollywood stars almost worked together many years ago, as Levy revealed that he was in the mix to direct Tatum’sGambitmovie, sharing the following:
Channing was visibly emotional every day on set. Sometimes it was in the form of smiling euphoria and sometimes it was tearful gratitude, but I’ve never seen an actor more grateful to be on set than Channing Tatum.I was one of several dozen directors who interviewed to direct the “Gambit” movie over a decade ago, and the first time Ryan and I pitched Kevin Feige [the Marvel Studios president] the idea, we had to explain it a bit because this isn’t a capstone to legacy: This is a zig when all the other characters were zagging. It also gave an opportunity to cut against the grain of the other characters, because Gambit’s experience is diametrically different than all the other legends.
Channing Tatum’s Unmade Gambit Movie Explained
Channing Tatum was cast as Gambit a decade ago, but the actor’s solo movie as the X-Men character never got off the ground due to a major reason.
Could Channing Tatum’s Gambit Movie Get Revived Under Marvel Studios?
Based onthe ending ofDeadpool & Wolverine, Tatum’s Gambit seems to be alive, although this is never clearly specified but more left to be presumed. If Marvel Studios is open to bringing Tatum back as Gambit in the future, it begs the question if his solo film could finally come to fruition, but this time as part of the MCU franchise. As of right now, Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have not made any announcements about aGambitfilm being remotely possible.
Since Marvel Studios is working on itsX-Menreboot for the MCU timeline, it is unlikely any individual projects will be produced prior to the big team-up film. However, a loophole that Marvel Studios could utilize for Tatum’s Gambit is to give him his own MCU Special Presentation. A one-hour project for Disney+ centered on Gambit could give the world a little bit more of Tatum’s X-Men hero, but also maybe even serve as a prequel toDeadpool & Wolverine, establishing what he was up to before getting sent to The Void.
Even if he doesn’t get his own project, it would be shocking if Tatum’s Gambit doesn’t come back at least one more time afterDeadpool & Wolverineas the MCU gets closer to the end of The Multiverse Saga. With major films likeAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsarriving in Phase 6, this chapter of the story would be the proper time to have Tatum back as Gambit one last time. But for now, the world will have to wait and see if they have seen the last of Tatum’s Gambit after the events ofDeadpool & Wolverine.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Cast
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
