Marvel Fans Rally for Channing Tatum’s Gambit to Appear in Avengers: Secret Wars

After Channing Tatum’s Gambit movie was cancelled after Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, fans wondered if they would ever see the actor take the screen as the beloved X-Men hero, a role Tatum himself is just as passionate about as the fans are themselves. That moment became a reality this summer with Deadpool & Wolverine with Tatum finally suiting up as the hero, though the film’s ending left the character’s future a question. On Tuesday, however, those questions turned to hope again when Ryan Reynolds released footage from the wildly popular film that suggests maybe Gambit did survive — and now fans are already rallying for where they want to see Gambit next.

On social media, Reynolds released a scene that appeared in Deadpool & Wolverine, but fans probably didn’t catch it because it screened on a small monitor at the TVA. The scene features Tatum’s Gambit, walking through the aftermath of the battle in the void when he’s seen reacting to the opening of one of those familiar dimensional portals — which Reynolds called a “Marvel sparkle circle” — just off screen, potentially suggesting that Gambit isn’t staying in the Void after all.

With the possibility that Gambit has an avenue to make it back, fans are already excited and they have some ideas of where they’d like to see him next: Avengers: Secret Wars. Fans quickly took to social media to share their thoughts on the matter. Some are just eager to see Tatum as Gambit again while others have some very specific ideas of how it should happen.

“What if that sling ring portal was open by doctor strange in the middle of the battle in secret wars and deadpool & wolverine was standing there like ‘come join us’” @ssatyam suggested.  “When Gambit returns in Secret Wars because Doctor Strange recruits the multiversal army to defeat Dr. Doom >>>” @DA_Osorio pitched.

Some fans are hopeful for a Avengers: Secret Wars appearance for Gambit just because of timing, concerned that Tatum, who has long wanted to play this role, will age out of the opportunity.

“I don’t know if Disney/Marvel has a plan to fit Gambit in they new world they trying to build but I know Channing is gonna age out when they do they new version of the X-Men,” @SaintBernard_EZ wrote. “I say give a role in secret wars then hang it up.”

What Happened With the Gambit Movie?

Tatum getting to appear as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine came after the end of a long road for the Gambit movie. Tatum’s film had been in development in some form at Fox since 2014 with multiple director changes and script evolutions. Following the purchase of Fox — and the rights to its Marvel characters — were purchased by Disney, it was largely presumed that the Gambit movie had been cancelled. In 2023, Tatum explained 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 and ultimately, I just think that 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,” Tatum explained at the time. “We call every once in a while, but we’ve got to spiritually, emotionally, kind of mentally let it go.”

In Marvel Studios‘ Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). The film also stars Matthew Macfadyen as Paradox, and Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova, with the return of Deadpool alums 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 is returning as Pyro from the X-Men film series, with Jennifer Garner rumored to return as Elektra Natchios. 

Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey and Simon Kinberg serving as executive producers. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy. Deadpool & Wolverine was released exclusively in theaters on July 26th.