Channing Tatum Can’t Watch Marvel Films Ever Since ‘Gambit’ Debacle

Channing Tatum revealed that he can't watch Marvel movies because he feels “traumatized” from being rejected a few years ago. While discussing his directorial debut Dog, the 41-year-old actor told Variety that he and Reid Carolin (his producing partner), tried very hard to convince 20th Century Fox to allow them to direct a solo movie for the X-Men character Gambit. The studio, however, “didn’t want us to direct it” according to Tatum.

“They wanted anybody but us, essentially, because we had never directed anything,” Tatum, 41, said.

The Magic Mike star further revealed he and Carolin spent four years developing Gambit’s script, so when the deal with 20th Century Fox fell apart, Tatum just couldn’t stand to watch Marvel movies any longer. “Once Gambit went away, I was so traumatized,” Tatum said. “I shut off my Marvel machine. I haven’t been able to see any of the movies. I loved that character. It was just too sad. It was like losing a friend because I was so ready to play him.”

Carolin said their deal fell apart majorly because of the Disney and Fox merger that happened in 2019, adding that the film was at “the one-yard line” and they had even picked cast members. “We had cast the film. We’d opened up a production office. We were on our way to shoot in New Orleans,” he said.

If he were ever approached with the opportunity again in the future, Tatum said he would gladly take upon the role of Gambit. “Uh, yeah, I would love to play Gambit,” Tatum said. “I don’t think we should direct it. I think that was hubris on our part.”​​​

Tatum will next be seen in the upcoming rom-com movie The Lost City, starring alongside Sandra Bullock, Daniel Radcliffe and Brad Pitt.

Watch the trailer for The Lost City below, coming to theaters March 25, 2022: