Channing Tatum's Gambit Film: A '30s Screwball Rom-Com in a Superhero Setting

Channing Tatum's long-anticipated Gambit movie, which never made it to the screen, was set to bring a unique twist to the superhero genre by embracing a '30s screwball romantic comedy vibe. Lizzy Caplan, who was slated to star alongside Tatum, shared insights into the project with Business Insider, calling the concept "a really cool idea." Despite the movie's cancellation following the 2019 Disney-Fox merger, Tatum's journey to portray the beloved X-Men character, Gambit, has been a rollercoaster, culminating in a surprising cameo in the MCU's blockbuster, Deadpool & Wolverine. The ordeal left Tatum feeling "traumatized" as he feared he might never get to play the card-throwing mutant.

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Caplan confirmed her involvement in the Gambit project as early as 2017, revealing to Business Insider that she had signed on and even held meetings with Tatum. "We got down the road, we were gonna shoot it," she recalled, mentioning they had a tentative start date. In 2018, Simon Kinberg, the film's producer, told IGN that the movie would lean into a "romantic or sex comedy vibe," fitting for Gambit's character as a hustler and womanizer. This concept was further elaborated by Caplan, who noted, "They wanted to do, like, a '30s kind of screwball romantic comedy set in that world, which would have been really fun."

With the Gambit movie now in the rearview mirror, the future of Tatum's involvement with the character remains uncertain. Marvel Studios has yet to announce any plans, though they have confirmed the X-Men's eventual integration into the MCU. The excitement around Gambit was reignited last August when Ryan Reynolds, star of Deadpool, shared a clearer version of a scene from Deadpool & Wolverine, sparking speculation among fans.

Warning! Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers follow.