Channing Tatum's long-awaited Gambit movie, which was ultimately canceled, was set to bring a unique twist to the superhero genre by adopting a '30s screwball romantic comedy vibe. This intriguing approach was confirmed by Lizzy Caplan, who was slated to star alongside Tatum in the film. Speaking to Business Insider, the Cloverfield actress expressed her enthusiasm for the project, describing it as having "a really cool idea."
Tatum's journey to bring the fan-favorite X-Men character to life has been well-documented, but it seemed to hit a dead end until his unexpected cameo in the MCU blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine. The Gambit movie was canceled following the 2019 Disney-Fox merger, leaving Tatum "traumatized" and fearing he would never get the chance to portray the card-carrying mutant.
Deadpool & Wolverine: Easter Eggs, Cameos and References
38 Images
Caplan confirmed in her interview with Business Insider that she had signed on to play the female lead in the Gambit movie as early as 2017. She had meetings with Tatum and the project was progressing, with a start date in sight. "We got down the road, we were gonna shoot it," Caplan shared. "I think there was a start date."
In 2018, Simon Kinberg, the producer of the Gambit movie, told IGN that the film would have a "romantic or sex comedy vibe" due to Gambit's character traits. "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."
Seven years later, Caplan reaffirmed this vision, stating, "They wanted to do, like, a '30s kind of screwball romantic comedy set in that world, which would have been really fun."
As for what lies ahead for Tatum and Gambit, Marvel Studios has yet to reveal any plans, although they have confirmed the upcoming integration of the X-Men into the MCU. In August of the previous year, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds fueled speculation among Gambit fans by tweeting a high-quality version of a scene from Deadpool & Wolverine that was difficult to discern in theaters.
Warning! Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers follow.
