At one point, actor Channing Tatum was set to take on the role of Gambit, a member of the X-Men superhero group. That opportunity never came to be, however, and according to Tatum, is a major regret for the actor.
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Speaking to Variety in a new interview, Tatum spoke on his past history with the character, noting that studios didn’t want Tatum and Reid Carolin (Magic Mike, Dog) directing the feature, due to their relatively amateur status as filmmakers. “The studio really didn’t want us to direct it,” Tatum said. “They wanted anybody but us, essentially, because we had never directed anything.”
Tatum went on to say that he was in love with the script of the film that he and Carolin had co-written and that it had a similar tone to that of the Deadpool films. “We wanted to make a romantic comedy superhero movie,” Carolin said of their planned film. “The thesis was the only thing harder than saving the world is making a relationship work.”
“They would call him ‘flamboyant’ in his description,” Tatum said. “I wouldn’t — he was just the coolest person. He could pull anything off. Most superheroes, their outfits are utilitarian. Batman’s got his belt. Gambit’s like, ‘No, this s—’s just fly, bro! This s— walked down the Paris runway last year.’ He’s just wearing the stuff that’s so dope because he loves fashion.”
Reid Carolin also spoke on the film, telling Variety that the movie itself was “on the one-yard line” and that the duo had even set up production offices, cast the film, and was prepared to begin shooting in New Orleans. Unfortunately for them, the chance of bringing Gambit to the big screen all but fell apart after Disney merged with Fox, a move that Tatum says left him “traumatized” and unable to watch any recent Marvel films.
“Once Gambit went away, I was so traumatized,” Tatum said. “I shut off my Marvel machine. I haven’t been able to see any of the movies. I loved that character. It was just too sad. It was like losing a friend because I was so ready to play him.”
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The history of Fox’s attempt to make a Gambit film is a long one, with Tatum and Carolin attached to the project since early 2014. The project had various directors sign on to helm the feature, including Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) at one point. However, things never panned out for the film, and following the merger between Disney and Fox, it seems unlikely that the project will ever be made.
