The X-Men Movie Everyone Wants Is A Bad Idea

By Chris Snellgrove
| Printed 2 hours in the past

Ever since Channing Tatum stole all of his scenes in Deadpool & Wolverine, followers have been clamoring for him to have a solo Gambit film. That is solely pure. Not solely was Tatum hilarious within the latest movie, however he was tapped to play the character for Fox even earlier than the MCU started, so belatedly giving him a solo movie could appear to be a no brainer. Nonetheless, it’s simply not within the playing cards, mes ami, and I’m right here to inform you why a solo Gambit movie is the worst concept since letting Brett Ratner direct X-Males 3.

This Mutant Is Getting Outdated

Channing Tatum is a gifted performer with a real ardour for the character, so why do I feel his having a Gambit film is a horrible concept? For one factor, the 44-year-old is a bit too outdated for the half. Whereas it made sense for him to be a bit older as somebody trapped in a multiversal Wasteland in Deadpool & Wolverine, followers must keep in mind that Marvel needs its huge stars to signal 10-year contracts. He’s clearly in nice form (simply ask Magic Mike followers), however do we actually wish to see Tatum in his mid-50s attempting to maintain up along with his youthful stars?

Talking of youthful stars, it’s value remembering that Disney is making ready to unleash its merry band of mutants onto the MCU and most of them (apart from Wolverine, after all) will likely be performed by youthful actors who’re new to their roles. If Rogue is performed by somebody in her 20s, it could be embarrassingly awkward to have her (Le)beau be somebody almost twice her age.

Gambit Is Not The Ace In The Deck

However let’s say that having one other middle-aged man within the group of children is smart…even then, Channing Tatum’s Gambit film continues to be useless within the water. That’s as a result of Gambit is a bit just like the Hulk in that he’s greatest as a part of an ensemble the place his larger-than-life character can bounce off of others in enjoyable methods. It’s enjoyable to see him flirt with Rogue or annoy Wolverine, however with out the opposite colourful characters, Gambit is a man with a barely-decipherable accent and a celebration trick set of mutant talents.

And Marvel’s comedian writers arguably knew this lengthy earlier than Channing Tatum was being thought of for a Gambit film. Traditionally, Gambit’s solo comics runs haven’t lasted very lengthy, and his most memorable comics outdoors of X-Males books have been one-shots the place he groups up with characters like Storm and Deadpool. Actual discuss: if this character can’t maintain sufficient curiosity from his largest followers to maintain a solo title going, he won’t ever generate sufficient curiosity amongst common audiences to make a big-budget movie right into a blockbuster success.

No One Desires This Origin Story

That results in the final downside with Channing Tatum headlining a Gambit film: the character’s origin story could be laborious to remodel into the standard Marvel film the place Disney expects to promote numerous motion figures and rake in a billion {dollars} on the field workplace. A film concerning the machinations of the Thieves’ Guild and Murderer’s Guild might need loads of fascinating lore for superfans to eat, but it surely wouldn’t have the zing common audiences anticipate from a franchise stuffed with killer set items and numerous explosions. Neglect about aliens attacking New York…this may be a film about two-bit thieves backstabbing one another in New Orleans, and that’s unlikely to win over moviegoers already reeling from superhero fatigue.

For the report, I feel Channing Tatum is an superior actor, and his efficiency in Deadpool & Wolverine was one of many highlights of that hit film. However that is one case the place stretching a memorable cameo into a complete solo movie could be a horrible concept for a lot of causes, together with that it functionally takes the function from a youthful actor who would higher gel with the upcoming group of MCU X-Males. And conserving Tatum away from a future Gambit film has another profit which is likely to be crucial of all of them: we received’t have to listen to an accent so indecipherably thick that it could require subtitles for the complete movie.