Channing Tatum “prays to god” solo Gambit movie gets made

Channing Tatum has been expressing his hope that a standalone Gambit movie will happen, following the success of his cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine.

The new Deadpool movie was filled with cameos that surprised and delighted fans, from Wesley Snipes’ Blade and Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, to Henry Cavill popping up as a Wolverine variant.

But the most popular of all the characters to make an appearance was Gambit, with Channing Tatum finally playing the beloved character onscreen.

Tatum was considered for Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009, but lost out to Taylor Kitsch. Then he signed up for a solo movie in 2014, being unveiled onstage at San Diego Comic-Con in 2015.

Directors like Doug Liman and Gore Verbinski came and went, however, release dates were missed, and the movie was ultimately cancelled in 2020 after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox.

But Gambit’s hilarious scenes in Deadpool & Wolverine has re-invigorated interest in the character, meaning there’s now optimism around a solo moving possibly happening.

“I sure hope so,” Tatum told Variety at the premiere of his new movie Blink Twice. “From your mouth to God’s ears. Write it into existence, my friend. Please.”

Deadpool 3 is nearing $1 billion after just a couple of weeks on release, prompting Tatum to again ask the Gambit question. As he told Variety: “Of course I’ve said it. I’ve been saying I want it for the last 10 years. It’s in [Disney boss] Bob Iger and [Marvel boss] Kevin Feige’s hands. I pray to God.”

Blink Twice, which stars Tatum as a shady billionaire with his own island, hits screens on August 23, 2024.

For more from the world of comic book films, check out our list of the best superhero movies of all-time, which now features new entry Deadpool & Wolverine. While much like Gambit, these are superhero movies you might never see, including Batgirl and Roger Corman’s Fantastic Four.