Channing Tatum was set to star in a Gambit solo film back in 2016, but Marvel Studios was not up for it. The Magic Mike star and producer Reid Carolin were to helm the movie, and in fact, they already had a lineup of cast. They were set to shoot in New Orleans, but the studio was against their plan.
Somehow this rejection traumatized the actor, and he ended up avoiding Marvel completely. This included watching their movies, as Tatum had wanted to play the role of Remy LeBeau right from the start.
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Channing Tatum Revealed Marvel Studios Was Against Gambit Movie
During an interview with Variety, actor Channing Tatum opened up about the scrapped Gambit movie that was meant to happen via Twentieth Century Fox in 2016. He and Reid Carolin were set to co-direct the film, but Marvel Studios did not approve of it. He stated:
“The studio really didn’t want us to direct it. They wanted anybody but us, essentially, because we had never directed anything.”
Tatum expressed his obsession with the character. He loved the script he wrote with Carolin and even admitted that he was willing to let go of the director’s chair. The actor finds Gambit a very fascinating anti-hero:
“They would call him ‘flamboyant’ in his description. 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 sh*t’s just fly, bro! This sh*t walked down the Paris runway last year.’ He’s just wearing the stuff that’s so dope because he loves fashion.”
The duo’s version of Gambit would have been rated R, resembling the likes of Deadpool and Logan. Carolin also admitted they were so close to starting production:
“We wanted to make a romantic comedy superhero movie. The thesis was the only thing harder than saving the world is making a relationship work. We were right on the one-yard line. We had cast the film. We’d opened up a production office. We were on our way to shoot in New Orleans.”
The tragic fate of the Gambit solo movie was due to the merging of Disney and Fox, hence there was a need for the company to redesign their X-Men characters.
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Channing Tatum Avoided Watching Marvel Films After Scrapped Gambit Film
In the same conversation with Variety, Channing Tatum admitted he was pretty devastated when he learned his Gambit movie will no longer move forward. The actor was so heartbroken he swore off watching any Marvel films. He revealed:
“Once ‘Gambit’ went away, I was so traumatized. 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.”
When asked if he would still want to play Remy LeBeau in the future, he responded in the affirmative:
“Uh, yeah, I would love to play Gambit. I don’t think we should direct it. I think that was hubris on our part.”
Tatum admitted they were too rash when they decided to put matters in their hands without first consulting Marvel Studios. Had they made proper negotiations, the Gambit movie could have stood a chance.
