Lizzy Caplan on Channing Tatum’s Cancelled Gambit Film: “They Wanted To Do A ’30s Kind Of Screwball Romantic Comedy”

For over a decade, Channing Tatum fought and struggled to get a Gambit stand-alone movie made. Envisioned as a spinoff of X-Men Apocalypse, the film would have seen the fan-favorite mutant setting off on a solo adventure.

When Fox added the Gambit film to its 2016 release schedule, it looked like Tatum’s dreams were becoming a reality.

Over the next four years, however, the film would linger in development hell. Despite Tatum’s attachment to the character and his love of the source material, everything that could go wrong with the Gambit film did.

Source: Marvel/ Bleecker Street

After cycling through directors, producers, and writers, the final nail in Gambit’s coffin came with Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox in 2019. At that point, Tatum’s dream seemed dead.

Then, Ryan Reynolds came calling.

Tatum Finally Played Gambit in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

Tatum finally got the chance to play Gambit in last year’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Appearing as a variant of the mutant who is stranded in the Void, Tatum even got the chance to joke about the trouble he had in getting his Gambit film made. For the actor, it was a dream come true.

Gambit. Photo: Marvel

As rumors continue to swirl that Tatum will suit up as Gambit again, it is hard not to wonder what the X-Man’s solo outing would have looked like.

Lizzy Caplan Reveals Tatum’s Original Plans

In a new interview with Business Insider, Lizzy Caplan, who was lined up to star alongside Tatum in the Gambit movie, has revealed new details about the canceled project.

“We got down the road, we were gonna shoot it“I think there was a start date. I had had meetings with Channing, and there were a couple different… we had a director, then we didn’t, but I had multiple meetings with Channing and the other producers,” the actress explained.

Gambit. Photo: Marvel

“They wanted to do, like, a ’30s kind of screwball romantic comedy set in that world. Which would have been really fun.”

By the sound of things, Gambit would have taken inspiration from films such as It Happened One Night, My Man Godfrey, or His Girl Friday. Expanding the Marvel universe into the screwball genre would have set the film apart. It also would have given the superhero genre new ground to cover.

My Man Godfrey. Photo: Rotten Tomatoes

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.