Before directing Deadpool & Wolverine, Shawn Levy was once considered to direct the Gambit movie starring Channing Tatum.
What did Shawn Levy say about Channing Tatum’s Gambit Movie?
In the bonus commentary for Deadpool & Wolverine, Levy explained how he was one of the many directors approached to helm Gambit. The movie eventually fell apart, so Levy was happy Tatum finally played the X-Men character in Deadpool & Wolverine.
“Eight, 10 years ago, I was one of probably 40 directors who met with Channing to direct the Gambit movie,” Levy said. “Ultimately, no one got that job and the movie never quite happened. So, to give this moment to Channing and to realize instantly, ‘Oh wow, this guy has been readying for this his whole life’. . . was a crazy magic trick.”
Tatum was originally eyed to play Gambit in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However, Taylor Kitsch played the card-throwing mutant because of Tatum’s scheduling conflicts.
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In 2014, Tatum officially signed on to star in a Gambit movie. Unfortunately for Tatum, the film entered development hell and cycled through multiple directors including Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman, and Gore Verbinski. The final straw was Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, with Gambit’s official cancellation in May 2019.
Tatum recalls meeting with Levy multiple times for a Gambit movie. When the director approached him to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine, Tatum was in disbelief.
“Shawn I’ve met a couple of times to possibly direct Gambit when I was attached to it at Fox,” Tatum said. “So they called me about this one, and I couldn’t even believe it. I thought they might have been teasing me or joking me.”
Tatum’s appearance as Gambit was one of the most memorable moments in Deadpool & Wolverine. Ryan Reynolds later revealed that Marvel is “obsessed” with Tatum in that role.
“I honestly don’t know what goes on behind closed doors in the bookkeeping sessions at Marvel, but I do know that they’re obsessed with him in that role,” Reynolds said. “It’s kind of like the same situation I went through. Once you show that it works well, that’s really what they need. Sometimes they just need to see it in action.”
Deadpool & Wolverine is now streaming on Disney+.
