Channing Tatum still hopes to bring his Gambit movie back to life five years after it was cancelled.
The 44-year-old actor had initially hoped to play the Marvel Comics character in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine but he was unavailable for filming. The role went to Taylor Kitsch instead and Tatum later signed up to revive the story in a stand-alone movie but it spent years in development limbo before ultimately being shelved in 2019.
Tatum was given the chance to step into the character’s shoes for a cameo appearance in this summer’s blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine and he hopes it will breathe new life into his stalled superhero project. When asked if he still hopes the film will get made, he told Variety: “I sure hope so.
“From your mouth to God’s ears. Write it into existence, my friend. Please.”
Tatum went on to reveal he’s made it clear to movie bosses that he’s still interested in the project, adding: “(Of) course I’ve said it. I’ve been saying I want it for the last 10 years. It’s in [Disney boss] Bob Iger and [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige’s hands. I pray to God.”
The actor previously thanked Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds for giving him the chance to finally play Gambit onscreen in his cameo role, insisting he feels “so grateful” to have been included in the cast.