Ryan Reynolds says Marvel is “obsessed” with seeing Channing Tatum as X-Men hero Gambit

As a guy who spent years trying to get Deadpool off the ground, Ryan Reynolds says he feels for his pal Channing Tatum, who never got the chance to play the X-Men hero Gambit onscreen — until Ryan brought him into Deadpool & Wolverine, that is.

Tatum tried to get a Gambit project off the ground before Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, but his hopes were dashed when that deal went through. 

After the blockbuster success of D&W, however, it seems there’s renewed hope for Tatum’s Cajun, card-slinging, mealy mouthed mutant. 

“I honestly don’t know what goes on behind closed doors in the bookkeeping sessions at Marvel, but I do know that they’re obsessed with him in that role,” Reynolds tells Entertainment Weekly‘s Awardist podcast.

Reynolds compared Tatum’s journey to his own, when the success of leaked test footage of him playing Deadpool convinced Fox to greenlight the 2016 smash hit original.

“It’s kind of like the same situation I went through,” Ryan says. “Once you show that it works well, that’s really what they need. Sometimes they just need to see it in action. And Channing is so singular in how he plays that character. But also he’s so beautiful physically, the way he moves and the way he can pick up steps.”

As reported, Tatum remained optimistic — but realistic — regarding his future in the role. He told Collider some months back, “You never know. I mean, literally, I could never be in another Marvel movie again, and it wouldn’t surprise me because I’ve had it in my hand before, and it’s gone away.” He added, “I’m always grain-of-salting it, but I’m hoping that [Marvel Studios president] Kevin [Feige] will allow me in.”

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