Is Gambit Coming the the MCU?
Is the Ragin’ Cajun (not James Carville) coming to the MCU? It’s a distinct possibility. Deadpool & Wolverine has been out for a few weeks now, and it’s grossed over a billion dollars, so I think it’s safe to assume everyone visiting a website called Geeks + Gamers has seen the film, but just in case, there are spoilers ahead.
***SPOILERS***
Among the many cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine is Gambit, the suave Cajun mutant who can use kinetic energy to charge objects and make them explode, which he prefers to do with playing cards. Gambit made a previous cinematic appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where he was played by Taylor Kitsch, but Kitsch didn’t reprise the role in Deadpool & Wolverine. This time, it was Channing Tatum, who had been developing a Gambit solo movie for years that never materialized. Plenty of fans had been excited to see Tatum play the role, and it was considered a missed opportunity that he never did, so having him show up in the new film was a treat for them and a good laugh for anyone who keeps up with entertainment news. Today, Ryan Reynolds shared a video on his Instagram and X accounts depicting a semi-deleted scene from Deadpool & Wolverine in which Gambit is shown to have survived the big battle in the Void. You can see it below:
*whispers* Marvel Sparkle Circle #DeadpoolAndWolverine❤️ pic.twitter.com/TtuZ5jSAdL
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 27, 2024
In the Instagram and X posts, Reynolds says that “a version of this sequence” made it into Deadpool & Wolverine, as it plays on one of the TV screens in the background at the TVA. He also says, “*whispers* Marvel Sparkle Circle,” which I take to mean one of those portals created from a sling ring, which the titular heroes used to escape the Void in the movie. It would appear Reynolds is suggesting that Tatum will return as Gambit in another MCU film. And according to Variety in an article that ran earlier this month, Tatum is more than willing to put on the brown coat and deal his deadly deck again.
Will Channing Tatum finally get his wish to star in a “Gambit” movie?
“I sure hope so,” he told me at Thursday’s premiere of “Blink Twice” at the DGA in West Hollywood. “From your mouth to God’s ears. Write it into existence, my friend. Please.”
Yes, he’s already told Marvel he still wants to make it happen. “Of course I’ve said it. I’ve been saying I want it for the last 10 years,” Tatum said. “It’s in Bob Iger and Kevin Feige’s hands. I pray to God.”
That’s fine with me. I liked Channing Tatum well enough in Deadpool & Wolverine, and I like Gambit, so I wouldn’t mind seeing him again. However, if I had my druthers, Taylor Kitsch would get another crack at the character in what would hopefully be a better movie than X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This guy was the original Henry Cavill, getting screwed over every time he was on the cusp of his big break, the most heartbreaking example of which was the excellent John Carter. I liked him as Gambit in an otherwise lousy film (although it did have one great scene, and I don’t mean the opening war montage), and it’d be neat to see him again. Tatum is actually a year older than Kitsch, so age wouldn’t be an issue. But that’s not realistic; Tatum is a bigger name, and the momentum is his now, so I think it’s probable he’ll be back.
I also hope he doesn’t get his own film and just appears in an X-Men movie. Not every character needs a solo outing, and while I like Gambit, I don’t know if he can carry a film on his own, especially with Tatum playing him. He was fine as Gambit in scenes where he had about five other good actors doing the heavy lifting, but he’s not a particularly strong performer. This also presents yet another multiverse problem, as this Gambit will be from another dimension when he meets the X-Men, and presumably one in which he was part of his own X-Men team; once again, Marvel is fast-forwarding through storytelling and character arcs, the very thing they were once so good at doing. This Gambit will not have to be recruited; he’ll probably just seek out the X-Men or be joined with them in Avengers: Secret Wars or some other movie. They really can’t get past “The Multiverse Saga” fast enough for me. But in a general sense, this is fine news. I have to admit, though, I’d have been more excited to see Wesley Snipes’ Blade be the one walking through the battlefield.
Let us know if you want to see more of Channing Tatum as Gambit in the comments!
Comments (1)
It’s all about the actual movie, plot and story. The thing about Tom Cruise, is he could be in roles where he just spoke to people, drove a car, and went gambling and it would be a great movie. That’s what we should want for these younger actors like Taylor, Channing, Powell and others.
Idc one way or another, but would hope that Tatum doesn’t just throw stuff out there, but instead, carefully selects script, director, writer, etc. and puts out something of quality. To a Gambit movie, I say why not, but Gambit was never a draw on his own. Don’t know if there is enough comic back story with him. Only reason it might be a good idea is if they had a Rogue character, too. Maybe he could use his pull for some Avi Arad or Perlmutter involvement.
The only reason I’d go for it is if the commitment was there to just make a good movie with the focus being a stand alone. One film at a time. Mutants should be cherished. Mutants are the underground outcasts that live in stealth under the radar because they are a danger to humans. Each one a biological weapon of mass destruction.