"Channing Tatum's Gambit Film: A '30s Romantic Comedy in Superhero Setting Canceled"

Channing Tatum's vision for the now-canceled Gambit movie was unique—a '30s screwball romantic comedy set within the superhero universe, according to actress Lizzy Caplan. Speaking to Business Insider, the Cloverfield star revealed that the film, in which she was set to star opposite Tatum, was conceptualized with "a really cool idea."

Tatum's long-standing desire to portray the fan-favorite X-Men character seemed to have hit a dead end before his unexpected cameo in the MCU blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine. His previous efforts to bring a Gambit movie to life were thwarted following the 2019 Disney-Fox merger, leaving Tatum feeling "traumatized" and doubtful about ever getting to embody the card-throwing mutant.

Deadpool & Wolverine: Easter Eggs, Cameos, and References

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Reports from as early as 2017 indicated that Caplan was lined up to play the female lead in the Gambit film. In her interview with Business Insider, she confirmed her involvement and shared that she and Tatum had meetings about the project. "We got down the road, we were gonna shoot it," Caplan recounted. "I think there was a start date."

In 2018, Simon Kinberg, the producer behind the Gambit project, told IGN that the film would have a "romantic or sex comedy vibe," fitting the character of Gambit. "When you look at Gambit," Kinberg explained, "he’s a hustler and a womanizer and we just felt like there was an attitude, a swagger to him, that lent itself to romantic comedy."

Fast forward seven years, and Caplan reinforced this vision. "They wanted to do, like, a '30s kind of screwball romantic comedy set in that world, which would have been really fun," she said.

So, what lies ahead for Tatum and Gambit? Marvel Studios has yet to disclose any plans, though they have confirmed the imminent integration of the X-Men into the MCU.

Last August, Ryan Reynolds, the actor behind Deadpool, shared a high-quality version of a scene from Deadpool & Wolverine on X (formerly Twitter), which was difficult to discern in theaters. This action sent Gambit enthusiasts into a frenzy of speculation.

Warning! Spoilers for Deadpool & Wolverine follow.