Channing Tatum Returning To His Best Role In Highly Anticipated Movie?
Channing Tatum is reportedly in talks to join Marvel's Deadpool 3, possibly to portray Gambit, a member of the X-Men.
With the Marvel Cinematic Universe expanding its reach to other films based on popular superhero characters, Ryan Reynolds recently revealed that Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman would be returning to the franchise in Deadpool 3. As filming has begun with director Shawn Levy helming the sequel, fans have begun speculating about who else might be joining the third installment. On Twitter this week, it was revealed that actor Channing Tatum might have begun discussions to come back to Marvel in Deadpool 3, either as the character of Gambit or another role altogether.
Fans theorizing about Channing Tatum returning to discussions about playing Gambit in a Marvel Studios production might seem like a fever dream, largely due to the fact that Tatum was supposed to play the character in a solo film previously. Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit, was originally played by Friday Night Lights actor Taylor Kitsch in the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine alongside Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds. However, Channing Tatum had signed on to take over the role in an X-Men franchise follow-up movie that went through development hell for years, eventually getting scrapped in 2019, as reported by Collider at the time.
Since then, Channing Tatum has long been rumored to be playing Gambit in some capacity of either the X-Men franchise or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, although that has yet to come to fruition until rumors began very recently. With Deadpool 3 on the horizon, it could be possible that Tatum either plays Gambit or some variation of a different character that Reynolds and director Shawn Levy believe he would be perfect for, but there is no confirmation yet that he has been cast. The Deadpool franchise has been a huge boost for Marvel and Reynolds since the first film debuted to a huge box office haul in 2016, netting over $782 million against a budget of $58 million.
Deadpool 3 looks to be shaping up to be another blockbuster hit for Ryan Reynolds, as the movie will begin integrating the X-Men characters with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Scheduled to be released in theaters in November 2024, the movie will be integral in starting off Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it concludes with other projects like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Channing Tatum, if cast in the Marvel Studios production, might be the high-profile name that the Deadpool franchise needs to pull in more attention to this noteworthy transition.
Before Channing Tatum joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the stripper turned actor and producer will be unveiling his newest addition to a storied franchise: Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Co-starring Salma Hayek, the third and final installment to the Magic Mike film series will be directed by Steven Soderbergh and is set for a release date of February 10, 2023, just in time for the Valentine’s Day weekend. In 2022 alone, Tatum appeared in three movies alongside A-list actors, including Dog, The Lost City with Sandra Bullock and Daniel Radcliffe, and Bullet Train with Brad Pitt, Brian Tyree Henry, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
