See Channing Tatum As Marvel’s Gambit
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With the MCU picking up actors left and right, bringing some of the biggest faces around to appear in their blockbuster films, one Instagram artist is wondering if Magic Mike star Channing Tatum could step into the role of X-Men favorite, Gambit. With his recent connections to Deadpool director, David Leitch, anything is possible. Wishing for his dream to become a reality, Instagram user, @clements.ink, drew up a colorful look at what his vision for the character would be, in a post that you can see above.
You can almost hear the Cajun accent roll out of Channing Tatum’s mouth in this true-to-character portrait. With glowing red eyes and a smirk, he dons the iconic black headband, complete with Gambit’s long brown duster, fine-tuned with bits of purple worked into the stitching. The jacket is left open, revealing the purple suit the character is known for underneath, while Tatum holds a slowly disintegrating card, daring someone to make a move.
For those who may not remember, there was a moment in time when Channing Tatum was gunning for the role of Gambit. Several years ago, he and Reid Carolin (Dog, Magic Mike) began building the blueprints for what would be a single story centered on the energy-controlling mutant. Although they poured their hearts and time into the picture, it never took flight, nor did any of the other similar ideas pitched to 20th Century Fox.
If there was ever a time to follow up on a Channing Tatum-led Gambit feature, it would be now. The character only appeared once throughout the X-Men franchise in X-Men Origins: Wolverine where he was played by Taylor Kitsch (John Carter). With the popularity of fellow X-Men bad boy, Deadpool, adding Gambit to the roster would be a no-brainer.
While Channing Tatum may not be appearing as Gambit as soon as some of his fans would like, the actor does have several projects about to roll out. Currently, in post-production, Tatum’s final time taking the floor as the buff male dancer we all know and love in Magic Mike’s Last Dance is just around the corner. The Steven Soderbergh-helmed feature will tell the “final” chapter in the dancer’s legacy where the actor will star opposite Salma Hayek.
He also has two projects still in production, Pussy Island and Project Artemis. The first will mark the star-studded directorial debut of Zoë Kravitz, with the second being a drama directed by Greg Berlanti with Tatum starring alongside Scarlett Johansson. Being that Johansson was such a huge name in Marvel for over a decade, maybe she can put in a good word with Kevin Feige and the folks at the top for Channing Tatum to toss on a duster and make magic with Gambit.
When it comes to casting for Marvel projects, the fans are a picky bunch. There will always be some who boo whatever decision is made, believing that certain performers aren’t the right fit for a character or franchise. And while Channing Tatum may not be everyone’s cup of tea, he would be a solid choice to portray the cheeky heartthrob personality that Gambit is known for.
