Channing Tatum’s Gambit Was Perfect for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ but I Don’t Want Him in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Channing Tatum was fantastic in Deadpool & Wolverine as Gambit, an X-Men character Tatum had been cast to play in the past before his film was canceled. His accent, wit, and over-the-top action made him funny, charming, and badass. Recently, the actor was confirmed to be returning to the MCU during a cast announcement for Avengers: Doomsday. However, while it seems likely that we are heading to a multiversal Battleworld, Tatum’s Gambit doesn’t need to be included, as he already had his moment to shine, and the qualities that made him suitable for Deadpool & Wolverine also make him a terrible fit for Doomsday. The worst part is that there is another MCU film that he would be perfect for, but it is now unclear if we’ll even see him in it.
Gambit Already Had a Perfect Send-Off in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’
It is so difficult to say that a character shouldn’t be in a film, as there is always a chance the screenwriters will pull it out of the bag and nail it. However, when it comes to Gambit, I really don’t think he needs to be in Doomsday, as there is arguably little left to do with the character, or at least not enough space for him in this huge ensemble. Deadpool & Wolverine gave him and other Fox universe characters, such as Elektra (Jennifer Garner) and Blade (Wesley Snipes) their moment in the sun and acknowledged them perfectly, by framing them as cast-away toys.
Gambit then gets a happy ending during a deleted scene where he is seen in another universe. Therefore, to bring him into Doomsday, which already has so much plot to get through, will not only be stretching the runtime, but walking back on a rather basic and fulfilling character arc. He is not so complex that we need to know what happened to him during an incursion or destruction of the multiverse.
Channing Tatum’s Gambit Is Perfect for Deadpool, but He Doesn’t Belong With the Avengers
Gambit’s larger-than-life persona was a great fit for Deadpool & Wolverine because it was intentionally self-deprecating. However, it feels unlikely this will match the tone of Doomsday. When we look back to the Russo Brothers‘ other Avengers films, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, these included the Marvel formula comedy at times, but were still serious in their tone, dealing with death, regret, and trauma in mature ways. They also embraced being a comic book movie without making it silly, with Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) adventures in both films being an example of a space raccoon and a god teaming up, yet also exploring deeper themes of trauma and loss.
Therefore, his presence would surely clash with the darker subject matter in Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. While Gambit was fighting evil warlords in the Void in Deadpool & Wolverine, Doomsday and Secret Wars will see our favorite heroes pitted against each other on Battleworld, leading to what will surely be fatal outcomes. With this in mind, it will throw off the audience by combining two wildly different tones. The Russos understood that, even though these were different characters from different films in the previous team-ups, they had to come under one tonal umbrella for a cohesive narrative, meaning toning down the Guardians’ slapstick comedy to match the desperation Thanos (Josh Brolin) induced. In the end, the sad fact is that Gambit’s extreme personality probably won’t mesh with this, and his character is going to need to change too much to do so.
Channing Tatum’s Gambit Would Be Better Suited for Other MCU Movies
Although Gambit shouldn’t be in one of the biggest and most important films in the MCU’s history, that doesn’t mean he can’t appear in films more suited to the character. For example, there is a fair argument that he would be at home in Spider-Man 4, which could take place in Battleworld or at least be a multiversal film. This would allow for a lighter, grounded, tone in which Gambit can be more badass, with Tom Holland‘s Peter finding him awesome or silly. Either way, Peter’s sarcasm and banter would gel much better with Gambit’s over-the-top seriousness.
This is still possible, and Tatum’s appearance in Doomsday could be just to set up his relationships with other heroes. However, as previously mentioned, it feels unlikely that this film will have the runtime to give all of these characters a fully explored arc. In that case, not a minute can be wasted or take us out of the narrative, which Gambit — despite being entertaining — could end up doing.
