The history of theX-Menfranchise in movies and TV proves that Gambit should not have a solo movie, despite being a fantastic character. Gambit’s popularity in mainstream media skyrocketed in 2024, primarily thanks to hiscameo appearance in Marvel’sDeadpool & Wolverine. Gambit appeared as one of the pruned heroes living in The Void played by Channing Tatum, giving both the character and the actor who unsuccessfully campaigned to play Remy LeBeau for years some semblance of justice by the time ofDeadpool & Wolverine’s ending.
AlthoughChanning Tatum’s Gambit moviedid not get off the ground,Deadpool & Wolverineoffered him, and the character, a sense of redemption. Combined with the depiction of Gambit as one ofX-Men ‘97’s best characters, the longtime Marvel ComicsX-Mencharacter had a 2024 to remember. Naturally, this has led to speculation that Gambit may finally receive his solo movie after all, potentially with Tatum in the role once more. While Gambit is certainly a great character, the history of theX-Menfranchise proves a solo movie would be unwise.
Ryan Reynolds Recently Teased A Potential Gambit Movie With Channing Tatum
Deadpool & Wolverine Is The Biggest Factor Supporting A Gambit Solo Movie
Firstly, it is worth exploring one of the reasons as to why a solo Gambit movie with Tatum in the role is more likely now than ever. Of course, a lot of this can be attributed to the reception his character received inDeadpool & Wolverine.However, Ryan Reynolds recently poured fuel on the fire by releasing a cut scene from the movie that almost plays out like apost-credit scene forDeadpool & Wolverine. Reynolds shared the scene on hisInstagrampage, giving Marvel theorists a lot to chew on regarding the future of Gambit in the MCU.
The scene depicts Gambit walking through the wreckage of Cassandra Nova’s base in The Void. This presumably takes place after the climactic battle toward the end ofDeadpool & Wolverinein which the titular duo escaped The Void, leaving Gambit behind alongside other allies like Elektra, Blade, and X-23.The scene shows Gambit turning from the dead bodies littered around him, smirking as the reflection of a portal illuminates his eyes, teasing his escape from The Void. If left in the movie, this would be a surefire hint that Gambit would return in the vastlist of upcoming MCU movies.
Channing Tatum’s Gambit Should Return, But Not In A Solo Movie
The X-Men’s Movie History Proves Solo Movies Are Not As Effective
With this cutDeadpool & Wolverinescene making a Gambit return more of a possibility, it remains the case that it should happen, but not in a solo movie. It is worth noting that Gambit is a great character, and Tatum deserves to play him afterDeadpool & Wolverinedue to his passion for the source material. However, theX-Menmovie timelinehas proved that mutant characters often work best as part of a team. Although some soloX-Menfilms have worked, more often than not it is the team dynamic that makes individual mutant characters shine.
The New Mutants
July 21, 2025
Of all theX-Menmovies released, it is those that focused on a team dynamic that worked best. Thebest-rankedX-Menmoviesusually includeX-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: First Class,andX-Men: Days of Future Past, all of which center heavily on the team rather than any individual hero.The Last StandandDark Phoenixattempted to tell a Jean Grey-centric story and mostly failed, and whileX-Men: Apocalypsewas not the bestX-Menmovie, it still thrived in its depiction of the younger team.
X-Men Origins: Wolverinewas the franchise’s first attempt at a solo movie and is still counted as one of the weakest comic book movies ever made.The WolverineandLoganadmittedly work excellently as solo movies but are driven primarily by Wolverine’s hyper-famous nature. TheDeadpoolfranchise has proven solo movies can work also, but even then, the character had team dynamics with other X-Men characters like Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Colossus, Domino, and Cable, and often exists as a solo property even in Marvel Comics.
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All of this proves that Gambit should not return in a solo movie, but instead as part of another ensemble film. His appearance inDeadpool & Wolverinealone proves this. Gambit worked fantastically as another member of the film’s resistance, bouncing off of the other characters with ease. Whilethis is not to say a Gambit solo movie would never work, it is simply to say Gambit thrives as part of a team.X-Men ‘97also proved this, with Gambit’s interactions with his team members and their dedication to him after his death driving the entire story of season 1.
How Channing Tatum’s Gambit Could Return In The MCU’s Future
There Are Plenty Of Team Movie Tatum’s Gambit Could Play A Part In
All that being said, there are several team movies Gambit could appear in as the MCU goes along. An obvious choice would beAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars. These two movies are set to focus heavily on the multiverse, especially the latter, meaning variants are expected to appear in great volume. Given the reaction to his character inDeadpool & Wolverine, Tatum’s Gambit could be folded into the story of both films.
Another possibility links toMarvel’sX-Menmoviethat is in development.Deadpool & Wolverinedid not confirm which universe Gambit was originally from. It could be retconned that Gambit was actually from Earth-616 and pruned long ago, with the portal in the cutDeadpool & Wolverinescene returning him back home. This would allow Tatum to return in the MCU’sX-Menmovie as the team’s Gambit, giving the actor a chance to play the character once more while capitalizing on the latter’s ability to fit into a team dynamic.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Cast
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
