Deadpool & Wolverine May Finally Deliver The X-Men Variant We’ve Wanted After 11 Years

Many X-Men heroes are expected to appear in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine, and one cameo may pay off 11 years of anticipation. The first trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine released on February 11, 2024, which became the most watched trailer of all time in its first 24 hours and revealed exciting new details about the highly-anticipated MCU project. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are returning as the titular Wade Wilson and James “Logan” Howlett from Fox’s X-Men Universe, but several other mutant heroes have also been confirmed to be returning, though there will surely be some surprise appearances.

Deadpool & Wolverine will mark the first visit to 20th Century Fox’s previous X-Men franchise since 2020’s The New Mutants, but it seems as though the Phase 5 project will also mark the end of Fox’s X-Men Universe. This means that several mutant characters will be making cameo appearances among Deadpool & Wolverine’s cast, as not only are Deadpool and Wolverine returning, but Colossus, Shatterstar, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Yukio, and Aaron Stanford’s Pyro have also been confirmed. This creates the opportunity for some of Fox’s fan-favorite X-Men to appear, and potentially even some that never made it to the screen.

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Deadpool & Wolverine Trailer Has The Perfect Scene To Include Channing Tatum’s Gambit

Deadpool & Wolverine

R

Action

Sci-Fi

Comedy

Superhero

Release Date

July 26, 2024

Director

Shawn Levy

Writers

Rhett Reese , Paul Wernick

After Remy LeBeau’s Gambit made his first Marvel Comics appearance in 1990’s The Uncanny X-Men #266, he quickly became one of Marvel’s most popular mutant heroes. With the power to manipulate kinetic energy, allowing him to turn any object – often playing cards – into explosive devices, Gambit is a fierce member of the X-Men, but was seriously neglected in Fox’s X-Men Universe. Deadpool & Wolverine may finally introduce him, however, as the trailer shows Wolverine, in his Patch disguise, at a gambling table. Wolverine’s body hides the dealer, but it’s very possible that this mysterious character could be Gambit.

Channing Tatum Has Been Campaigning To Play Gambit Since 2013

While Gambit hasn’t been confirmed to appear in Deadpool & Wolverine yet, this would make for a very pleasing introduction, especially if the Cajun mutant is portrayed by Channing Tatum. Tatum was originally eyed for the role of Gambit in 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, but the character was written out of the script before he was officially cast. Taylor Kitsch assumed the role for 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, though he wasn’t well-received. In 2013, Channing Tatum revealed that he wanted to play Gambit, noting his similar heritage to the hero and his appreciation for Gambit’s rebellious personality (via SlashFilm).

I would like to play Gambit. Gambit’s my favorite. I’m from New Orleans, around that area. My dad’s from New Orleans, and I like to do a Cajun accent. I could do it for real. No knock on Taylor Kitsch, though, ’cause I actually like his Gambit, but I’ve always lived around Cajun people. […] Gambit was always like the woman-loving, cigarette-smoking, drinking [guy]. He was the punk rock of all the superheroes. He’s a thief. He kind of rode the line.

Channing Tatum officially signed on to star in a Gambit-centered movie in 2014, but this project was in development limbo since then, and was canceled following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. While this project never panned out, the multiverse storyline of Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine provides the perfect opportunity for Channing Tatum to finally appear as Gambit, even if only for a brief cameo appearance. This would bring closure to 11 years of uncertainty for the actor and character, potentially hint at Gambit’s MCU debut, and introduce even more star power to Deadpool & Wolverine.