Marvel Fans Push for Channing Tatum’s Gambit in Avengers: Secret Wars

After Channing Tatum’s Gambit movie was canceled post Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, fans wondered if they’d ever see Tatum portray the beloved X-Men hero. Tatum, as passionate about the role as the fans, got his moment in this summer’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Though, the film’s ending left fans questioning Gambit’s future.

On Tuesday, those hopes were revived when Ryan Reynolds released footage from the popular film, hinting at Gambit’s survival. The scene, initially might have gone unnoticed as it appeared on a small monitor at the TVA, showcased Tatum’s Gambit navigating through the aftermath of a battle. He reacts to the opening of a familiar dimensional portal—dubbed as “Marvel sparkle circle” by Reynolds—suggesting that Gambit might not be stuck in the Void after all.

With the possibility of Gambit’s return, fans are buzzing with excitement and speculating his next appearance. Many are vocal about their hopes for Gambit to join the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars. Social media has been flooded with fan theories. Some just want to see Tatum’s Gambit again, while others have elaborate scenarios in mind.

One fan, @ssatyam, suggested, “What if that sling ring portal was opened by Doctor Strange during the battle in Secret Wars, and Deadpool & Wolverine were standing there like ‘come join us'”. Another, @DA_Osorio, imagined, “When Gambit returns in Secret Wars because Doctor Strange recruits the multiversal army to defeat Dr. Doom”.

There’s also a timing concern among fans, with some worried that Tatum might age out of the role if there’s too much delay. @SaintBernard_EZ expressed, “I don’t know if Disney/Marvel has a plan to fit Gambit in their new world, but I know Channing is gonna age out when they do their new version of the X-Men. I say give him a role in Secret Wars then hang it up.”

Tatum’s brief appearance as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine marks the culmination of a long journey for the character’s solo project. The Gambit film was under development at Fox since 2014 with several changes in directors and scripts. However, post-Disney’s acquisition of Fox and its Marvel properties, it was widely believed that the Gambit movie was shelved. In 2023, Tatum revealed in an interview that he had to “spiritually, emotionally, kind of mentally let it go.”

“It got swallowed up into Disney by way of Marvel when they bought Fox,” Tatum explained. “Ultimately, I think the tone of the movie we wanted to make was very far from what they wanted to do—or, you know, maybe they’re wanting to see how they do it with us or without us. We call every once in a while, but we’ve got to spiritually, emotionally, kind of mentally let it go.”

In Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) intertwines with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to alter the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie also features Matthew Macfadyen as Paradox, Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova, along with the return of Deadpool alumni like Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapičić as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Rob Delaney as Peter, and Lewis Tan as Shatterstar.

Aaron Stanford reprises his role as Pyro from the X-Men series, with Jennifer Garner rumored to return as Elektra Natchios. Produced by Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, and Lauren Shuler Donner, with executive producers Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey, and Simon Kinberg, Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, and Shawn Levy. The film was exclusively released in theaters on July 26th.

Source: ComicBook.com, NewsBreak