Channing Tatum has opened up about his X-Men movie that was never made and his push for Marvel Studios to adopt the project.
Following Disney's Fox acquisition, the question of when mutants will join the MCU in force - and what the Marvel Studios version of this franchise will look like - has dominated fan conversation.
While audiences are still waiting for X-Men news, the same can be said for Channing Tatum whose own X-Men spin-off was pulled off the slate in 2019.
Now that Deadpool and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine have crossed over into the MCU, Tatum has commented on his hopes for the revival of his card-wielding mutant.
Channing Tatum's X-Men Hopes
In talking with Vanity Fair, Channing Tatum revealed that he's still interested in his X-Men movie based on Gambit and still calls Marvel "every once in a while."
Tatum and his producing partner, Reid Carolin, reportedly spent four years mapping out a described "raunchy stand-alone" Gambit film.
And while Fox was expected to release Gambit in 2020, that all came to an end when, as the actor explained, "It got swallowed up into Disney by way of Marvel when they bought Fox..."
As to why there's been no news on Marvel adapting his film, Tatum acknowledged that his Gambit was likely "far from what they [Disney] wanted to do:"
“... and ultimately I just think that the tone of the movie we wanted to make was very far from what they wanted to do—or, you know, maybe they’re waiting to see how they do it with us or without us."
Lastly, while the Magic Mike star knows the odds are against his Gambit film, he confessed that he still calls Marvel "every once in a while:"
"We call every once in a while, but we’ve got to spiritually, emotionally, kind of mentally let it go.”
Are the Cards Stacked Against Tatum's Gambit?
Channing Tatum discussed Gambit's cancellation in previous interviews, comparing the experience to "losing a friend" as he was "so ready to play him."
While the actor now claims he and Carolin know they need to "let it go," the fact that he still calls Marvel Studios "every once in a while" is proof that he's still invested.
Even though there's been no indication that Marvel has plans for Gambit or Tatum, that doesn't mean there isn't an opportunity.
The Deadpool franchise with its Fox roots and mature tones is coming to the MCU via the Multiverse in 2024.
And, while speculation suggests that Marvel wants a younger X-Men cast, the MCU Multiverse, Variants, and Avengers: Secret Wars all allow for multiple versions of the same character.
Therefore, the MCU could have its Gambit and Channing Tatum's too.
As Phase 5 gets underway, audiences (and Channing Tatum) should gain a better understanding of Marvel's vision for moving forward and whether there's room for the cancelled mutant.
