Channing Tatum’s Canceled Gambit Movie Had a '30s Screwball Romantic Comedy Vibe Set in the Superhero World

Lizzy Caplan reveals Channing Tatum's scrapped Gambit film was envisioned as a '30s screwball romantic comedy within the superhero genre.

In a recent interview with Business Insider, Caplan, who was slated to star opposite Tatum, described the project as possessing "a really cool idea." The film, ultimately canceled after the 2019 Disney-Fox merger, was a passion project for Tatum, who had a long and ultimately frustrating journey to bring the fan-favorite X-Men character to the screen. Tatum's previous attempts were thwarted, leaving him reportedly "traumatized" by the experience, before his surprise cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine.

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Caplan confirmed her involvement, stating that she had signed on and even participated in pre-production meetings with Tatum. "We got down the road, we were gonna shoot it," she shared. "I think there was a start date.” This corroborates comments made by producer Simon Kinberg in 2018 to IGN, who described the film's intended tone as a "romantic or sex comedy vibe," aligning with Gambit's character.

Caplan further elaborated on the film's stylistic direction, stating, "They wanted to do, like, a '30s kind of screwball romantic comedy set in that world, which would have been really fun."

The future of Tatum's Gambit remains uncertain, though Marvel Studios has confirmed the X-Men's imminent arrival in the MCU. Last August, Ryan Reynolds' tweet of a high-quality version of a Deadpool & Wolverine scene fueled further speculation among fans.

Warning! Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers follow.