'Traumatised': Channing Tatum hasn't seen a Marvel movie after Gambit cancellation

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) rapidly expanding with film and Disney+ projects under its belt, many notable names in Hollywood have already been 'inducted' into one of pop culture's biggest franchises.

However, one actor didn't make it into the proverbial hall of fame as his X-Men film became a casualty of the Disney-Fox merger in 2019 — and he confessed to feeling "traumatised".

While speaking to Variety about his upcoming film Dog, American actor Channing Tatum opened up about the missed opportunity of Gambit, the raunchy standalone film he had spent four years developing with longtime producer partner Reid Carolin.

The 41-year-old star was also tapped to play the titular X-Men mutant.

Both Channing and Reid had lobbied to co-direct the film but the powers that be at 20th Century Fox weren't feeling it. He said: "The studio really didn't want us to direct it. They wanted anybody but us, essentially, because we had never directed anything."

But Channing loved the script (co-written by Reid) so much — and it was tonally similar to Deadpool — that he was open to stepping aside.

He said of the character: "They would call him 'flamboyant' in his description. I wouldn't — he was just the coolest person. He could pull anything off.

"Most superheroes, their outfits are utilitarian. Batman's got his belt. Gambit's like, 'No, this shit's just fly, bro! This shit walked down the Paris runway last year.' He's just wearing the stuff that's so dope because he loves fashion."

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Though the project was in development hell — it cycled through three directors and had its release date pushed back multiple times — the merger between Disney and Fox was the nail in its coffin.

"Once Gambit went away, I was so traumatised," he said, adding that he swore off watching the Avengers.

"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."

bryanlim@asiaone.com