Channing Tatum will be returning to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, but I’m worried that Marvel Studios won’t be able to repeat what made Gambit so great in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. It was great to see Channing Tatum finally live out his Gambit dreams in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, and his interpretation of the iconic X-Men hero was perfect for the Multiverse Saga movie. Many want to see Channing Tatum return as Gambit, and I think the end of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine set this up perfectly, but I’m worried that this could be a huge mistake.

Marvel Studios confirmed that Channing Tatum will be reprising the role of Remy LeBeau’s Gambit during March’s exciting and lengthy chair-laying ceremony that saw the first 27 members of Avengers: Doomsday’s cast confirmed. Tatum will be joining the classic stars of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise for the first time, teaming up with Patrick Stewart, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming and Kelsey Grammer in the fight against Doctor Doom. I can’t wait to see this unfold in 2026, but this also makes me nervous about Gambit’s live-action future.

I Loved Channing Tatum’s Gambit In ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine

Channing Tatum Had Wanted To Play Gambit Since 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand

Channing Tatum originally auditioned for the role of Gambit prior to the production of 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, though the kinetic-energy-empowered mutant was ultimately cut from the movie. Gambit was then played by Taylor Kitsch in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and plans for Tatum to appear as Remy LeBeau in a solo movie and in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse amounted to nothing. This meant we were all thrilled to see Channing Tatum finally suit up as Gambit in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, and his debut couldn’t have been more entertaining.

Channing Tatum’s Gambit fit perfectly into ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine‘s story and tone, as he both delivered brilliant action sequences and effortless comedy, thanks in large part to Tatum’s exaggerated Cajun accent. This comedy, combined with Ryan Reynolds’ wry and sarcastic responses, made Channing Tatum one of my favorite parts of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine, but I’m not sure that this can work a second time around. I’d love for Avengers: Doomsday to take advantage of an action-focused Gambit, but perhaps not repeat ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine’s comedic tones.

ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine’s Comedy Gambit Might Not Work As Well In Avengers: Doomsday

Avengers: Doomsday Will Surely Be Removed From ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine’s Comedy

While I think it will be great to give Channing Tatum more attention on-screen, and, as a fan-favorite X-Men character, I’m thrilled that Gambit is returning to the MCU, I don’t think the comedic character introduced in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine will work again. Gambit’s comedy worked because it was a surprise, but now that we’re expecting it, it might go in the same direction as Thor: Love and Thunder, which tried to follow Thor: Ragnarok’s great comedy with more of its own. Other returning X-Men in Avengers: Doomsday will also make it harder to pull off a comedic Gambit.

Avengers: Doomsday has not been set up as a comedic entry in the MCU’s continuity. The heroes of several universes will seemingly be banding together to fight Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom and save their worlds, perhaps while faced with a catastrophic incursion, too. The return of more-serious X-Men characters such as Professor X, Magneto, Cyclops and Mystique, most of whom haven’t dabbled in comedy before, means ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine’s Gambit just wouldn’t work alongside them, so I really hope Marvel Studios makes some huge changes.

Gambit’s Possible Avengers: Doomsday Mistakes Could Damage The Character’s MCU Future

I Want Gambit To Be A Huge Part Of The MCU’s Upcoming X-Men Stories

Thor: Love and Thunder was disappointing because it tried too hard to repeat the comedy that made Thor: Ragnarok so enjoyable, and I reckon Gambit’s Avengers: Doomsday return might repeat this. I’m really worried this will make people dislike Gambit, just as many dislike Love and Thunder, or consider the character too outlandish, silly and incapable of working alongside the other X-Men members. This could easily damage Gambit’s entire reputation, which means his eventual reinvention in the MCU’s upcoming X-Men reboot or beyond could be hurt.

Gambit was routinely wasted in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise, only being depicted once in one of the franchise’s most-hated installments. It would be a dire shame for Marvel Studios to repeat this neglect in the MCU, but if Channing Tatum’s return as Gambit is not well-received, audiences might want to avoid the character coming back after the Multiverse Saga, wanting to avoid mistakes being repeated. I think there’s a clear way Marvel can solve these problems before they even emerge, and it could make Channing Tatum’s return to the MCU even more exciting.

How Marvel Can Avoid Making These Gambit Mistakes In Doomsday

Avengers: Doomsday Can Debut A Very Different Version Of Gambit

While there is a lot of pressure and a high risk when bringing Channing Tatum’s Gambit back to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, I can think of one great way that Marvel can solve any problems very quickly. Turning Gambit away from his comedy roots in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine and making him a much more serious, gritty and hardened character would be great for Doomsday. The suspected dark storyline of the Russo brothers’ Phase 6 movie means this change would make sense, and this would give Tatum the chance to show off more sides to his new MCU hero.

This could be done by reintroducing Channing Tatum as a variant of Remy LeBeau, rather than the same version we saw in the Void in ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. It was never confirmed that ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine’s Gambit was from Fox’s universe of Earth-10005, but it seems as though this reality’s X-Men will be the version of the team appearing in Doomsday. This means that Earth-10005’s Gambit can be given some different tones, perhaps a more dramatic personality and comic-accurate demeanor, which I think would make Avengers: Doomsday even more incredible.

Upcoming MCU Movies

• 
  

  
  

  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  

  
  

  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  

  
  

  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  

  
  

  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  Release Date

  
  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse
  

• 
  

  
  

  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  Powered by

  
  

  
  Expand
  Collapse