By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Ever since Channing Tatum stole all his scenes Deadpool and Wolverinefans have been clamoring for him to have a solo Gambit movie. This is natural. Not only did Tatum come off as funny in the latest film, but he was approached to play the Fox character even before the MCU started, so giving him a solo film might seem like a no-brainer. However, it is not in the cards, I am standingand I'm here to tell you why a solo Gambit movie is the worst idea since letting Brett Ratner direct IX-Men 3.
This Mutant Is Aging
Channing Tatum is a talented actor with a real passion for the character, so why do I think having a Gambit movie is a bad idea? First, 44 years old is very old. Although it made sense for him to be a little older as someone who was trapped in the various Wastelands Deadpool and Wolverinefans must remember that Marvel wants its biggest stars to sign 10-year contracts. You're obviously in good shape (just ask Magic Mike fans), but do we really want to see Tatum in his mid-50s trying to keep up with his younger stars?
If we talk about young stars, it is worth remembering that Disney is preparing to present its exciting group of changes in the MCU and most of them (except Wolverine, of course) will be played by young actors who have just joined. If Rogue is played by someone in their 20s, it would be a shame to have (Le)beau be someone almost twice his age.
The Gambit Is Not an Ace in the Deck
But let's say having another middle-aged guy in a youth group makes sense…even then, Channing Tatum's Gambit movie is still dead in the water. That's because Gambit is like the Hulk in that he's best as part of an ensemble where his larger-than-life personality can bounce off others in fun ways. It's fun to see him flirt with Rogue or annoy Wolverine, but aside from other colorful characters, Gambit is a guy with an easy-to-understand voice and a set of dynamic party tricks.
And Marvel's comic writers no doubt knew this long before Channing Tatum was even considered for a Gambit movie. Historically, Gambit's solo comics didn't last long, and his most memorable comics outside of the X-Men books were one-shots where he teamed up with characters like Storm and Deadpool. Real talk: if this actor can't sustain enough interest from his core fanbase to continue as a solo artist, he'll never generate enough interest in mainstream audiences to make a big-budget movie a huge success.
Nobody Wants This Origin Story
That leads to the last problem when Channing Tatum talks about the Gambit movie: the story of the origin of the character can be difficult to turn into a regular Marvel movie when Disney expects to sell countless action figures and collect a billion dollars at the box office. A film about the machinations of the Thieves' Guild and the Assassin's Guild may have a lot of fun for the big fans, but it won't be what the general audience expects from a franchise full of murderous bits and lots of explosions. Forget about aliens invading New York…this could be a movie about two gangsters stabbing each other in New Orleans, and that's unlikely to win over moviegoers who are already tired of superheroes.
For the record, I think Channing Tatum is an amazing actor, and his performance at Deadpool and Wolverine it was one of the highlights of that hit film. But this is one situation where stretching out a memorable cameo for an entire solo film would be a bad idea for a number of reasons, including the fact that it effectively takes the role of a young actor who would be better suited to the MCU's upcoming X-Men team. And keeping Tatum out of a future Gambit movie has one added benefit that might be the most important of all: we won't have to hear a voice so inexplicably thick that it would require subtitles for the entire movie.
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