Deadpool & Wolverine delivered on a bunch of long-awaited fan desires. Key among them was finally seeing actor Channing Tatum as the explosive card master Gambit. That is before the Cajun sensation sacrificed himself for the greater good of a doomed universe … is what I would say because it turns out he survived.
Earlier today, Ryan Reynolds uploaded a clip on his official X/Twitter account—y’know, the one-stop shop for everything Deadpool at this point—showcasing Gambit sauntering over the presumed corpses of Toad and a non-Olivia Munn Psylocke before smirking directly at the camera. The one-two punch of the music swelling and Reynolds’ cheeky “*whispers* Marvel Sparkle Circle” caption heavily implying the mutant’s survival… again, is what I would say if Reynolds’ follow-up tweet didn’t spell it out in no uncertain terms that Gambit is alive, and somewhere out there in the multiverse.
*whispers* Marvel Sparkle Circle #DeadpoolAndWolverine❤️💛 pic.twitter.com/TtuZ5jSAdL
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 27, 2024
“A version of the sequence is in the film—on one of the monitors in the deep background of the TVA,” Reynolds wrote, tagging Tatum and director Shawn Levy with a yellow and red heart emoji.
As Reynolds unsubtly points out, Gambit surviving the final act of Deadpool & Wolverine inside the film gives credence to the fan-favorite character appearing in the MCU once more. This is undoubtedly good news for Tatum and unassuming kittens worldwide, seeing as how he declared he would do “terrible things” to make a Gambit movie happen while on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. On behalf of all cat owners, I thank you, Ryan Reynolds, for thwarting Gambit before his shadow could block my doorway.
Tatum has long held a candle for the X-Men character since his planned Fox solo movie found itself wrapped up in years of production limbo before vanishing into the ether by the time the studio was ready to be merged into Disney. “Of course I’ve said it. I’ve been saying I want it for the last 10 years,” Tatum likewise recently said to Variety of his long hope to return to Gambit. “It’s in Bob Iger and Kevin Feige’s hands. I pray to God.” We’re not quite yet at the level of a Gambit movie or Disney+ show sliding into Marvel Studios’ schedule, but now the potential is truly there between the character’s impromptu memetic rise in the last few months, and Reynolds’ own teasing with this clip. We’ll just have to wait and see where he makes a name for himself next.
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