‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Proves We Didn’t Need a Gambit Movie With Channing Tatum

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Deadpool and Wolverine.

The big picture

• Deadpool and Wolverine
  brings back some beloved MCU faces in cameos, including Elektra, Blade, and X-23.
• Channing Tatum’s cameo in Gambit is bizarre and out of place, adding humor but not depth to the film.
• Director Shawn Levy uses Gambit as a joke, indicating that a standalone Gambit film may not be necessary.

Deadpool and Wolverine has left no opportunity out of bringing back some beloved MCU faces in cameo form. Deadpool (My name is Ryan Reynolds.) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) come across many of these faces in The Void, the MCU’s version of purgatory where every damned character has been sent to live out the rest of eternity. Halfway through the film, the two protagonists join forces with actress Jennifer Garner‘S Electra, Wesley Snipe‘ Blade, and Daphne KeenX-23 of LoganAnother key member of the group turns out to be My First Encounter with Channing TatumGambit in what turns out to be a real dream moment for the actor. Among the dozens of cameos in Deadpool and Wolverine, Channing Tatum’s appearance as Gambit is the strangestpartly because it’s by an actor who’s never played the character before. Yes, Taylor Kitsch played Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine but the character wasn’t received very well. Even then, Tatum was the favorite for the role, but he couldn’t commit due to his involvement in GIJoe: Rise of CobraWhile Tatum has continued to make moves since then to get a standalone Gambit film made, Deadpool and Wolverine confirms why Gambit deserves to remain in the Void.

Channing Tatum Has Been Linked to a Gambit Movie for Years

THE Magic Mike the star’s relationship with the character goes back a long way. Despite not being able to play the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Tatum has been committed to bringing the character back to life. When 20th Century Fox greenlit the solo Gambit film in 2014, Tatum was undoubtedly the first choiceHowever, the film was destined to spend the next five years in development hell before the film was cancelled and 20th Century Fox was purchased by Disney in 2019. Some notable names, including Pirates of the Caribbean‘S Gore Verbinski, Mr. and Mrs. Smith‘S Doug LimanAND Dawn of the Planet of the Apes‘S Rupert Wyattwere part of the project. In an interview with Variety, Tatum said that he even offered to direct the film himself with his producing partner Reid CarolinLuckily for Tatum, his dream finally came true through Deadpool and Wolverinebut the the movie doesn’t do enough for the character or the actor who has been eagerly awaiting this opportunity for a long time.

Who is Gambit?

Known in the comics as Ragin’ Cajun or Prince of Thieves, Gambit has the ability to use any object to create explosive projectiles powered by kinetic energy. Gambit’s weapon of choice is playing cards, which he has seen wielded in Deadpool and WolverineKnown for his New Orleans accent, Gambit, aka Remy LeBeau, became popular among fans after his appearance in X-Men: The Animated SeriesThe character also appeared in the Disney+ series X-Men ’97. Gambit was a pickpocket before joining the X-Men, and his love interest in the comics is Rogue. In the 2009 X-Men film Wolverine and Wraith (William) visit New Orleans to find Gambit (Taylor Kitsch). First Deadpool and Wolverine, X-Men Origins: Wolverine It was the last film in which Deadpool, Wolverine and Gambit were seen Together.

Tatum’s Move Seems Out of Place in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

For better or worse, a comedic and flashy portrayal of Gambit makes its way Deadpool and WolverineThe strikingly purple, leather-look costume paired with Gambit’s tight headdress makes Tatum looks perfectly out of place alongside the ever-serious Elektra, Blade, and X-23, who all appear to be serious. If anything, the costume does an injustice to the physique of the actor it’s covering. Gambit’s incomprehensible New Orleans Cajun accent further serves the purpose of making Gambit easy prey for Deadpool, who doesn’t hold back when given a good line. Based on physicality alone, it seems like the film is intentionally putting Tatum’s Gambit into the film to get a few good laughs from the audience, without too many gags. While Tatum should be applauded for allowing himself to look and sound so ridiculous, His eccentric appearance and accent make him stand out like a sore thumb in a film that otherwise pays homage to once-famous characters.

Channing Tatum’s Gambit Cameo Is ‘The Biggest Deadpool and Wolverine Joke’

The treatment of the character in Deadpool and Wolverine justifies why there was no need to make a Gambit movie, rather than making people feel like they missed out on an unfinished Gambit movie. Director My Friend Shawn Levi uses the character as a joke in almost every scene. The film even manages to play an inside joke on the character and Tatum when Gambit expresses how he relates to the other characters in The Void despite never getting his own movie. It’s tragically comical that Tatum’s Gambit feels like an equal to those he’s with and his fate is similar to that of his allies. Finally, the film also somehow puts to rest the question of a future film. When Deadpool pushes him to fight Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), Gambit intervenes suggesting that it would be his only chance to shine, implying thatTatum may never return as GambitAt the moment, it is not possible to distinguish whether the speaker is Gambit or the actor who may not get another opportunity to play his favorite character.

Not only Deadpool and Wolverine prove that a Gambit movie, especially with Tatum, would have been a courageous mistake that first Fox and now Disney would like to avoidbut it also establishes that the character needs to be rethought and developed much more before he can be brought back. It is also clear that Tatum’s Gambit is only acceptable when the character’s presence is contained and limited, which Deadpool and Wolverine allows you to do this excellently without causing too much damage.

Deadpool and Wolverine is now in theaters.

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