"I thought I had lost Gambit forever" — Channing Tatum pens Ryan Reynolds tribute by posting throwback photos of Deadpool launch

American actor Channing Tatum took to X (formerly Twitter) on July 30, 2024, to pen a tribute to Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy by posting photos of the first Deadpool launch and the current Deadpool & Wolverine movie launch ten years apart.

Tatum has a cameo in the movie, wherein he plays the role of Gambit, a fictional character from the X-Men comics. Referring to the shelved movie of his X-Men character Gambit, Tatum mentioned in his tweet:

"I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But he fought for me and Gambit. I will owe him probably forever. Cause I’m not sure how I could ever do something that would be equal to what this has meant to me. I love ya buddy."

In his tribute, Channing Tatum mentioned that he sat in the audience when Ryan Reynolds showed the first peek of Deadpool at Comic-Con in 2015 and that he went backstage and hugged Reynolds, stating that the R-rated superhero was "perfect." Tatum mentioned that while he didn't know Ryan Reynolds back then, the actor has had his back in the industry since then.

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"All things happen for a reason": Channing Tatum hints at canceled Gambit movie in tribute tweet to Ryan Reynolds

While Taylor Kitsch played Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Channing Tatum was determined to play the character and make a solo movie in 2014. Entertainment company 20th Century Fox also reportedly gave the film a thumbs-up. However, the movie's production involved directors Doug Liman and Gore Verbinski joining and leaving the process.

Further, after Disney merged with 20th Century Fox, Gambit became a casualty, and Disney decided to redesign the X-Men franchise "from the ground up," as Reid Carolin stated to Variety in February 2022.

Addressing the instance of Gambit getting shelved and taking it in a positive light, Channing Tatum's recent tweet, which is a tribute to Ryan Reynolds, mentions:

"All things happen for a reason. I’m so grateful to be in this movie. It’s a masterpiece in my opinion."

Additionally, in the same interview with Variety in 2022, Channing Tatum addressed the Gambit movie getting shelved and mentioned that he was so traumatized by it that he stopped watching Marvel movies. Commenting on the same, Tatum told the publication:

“I shut off my Marvel machine. I haven’t been able to see any of the movies. I loved that character. It was just too sad. It was like losing a friend because I was so ready to play him.”

Moreover, Carolin also stated that he wishes Disney and 20th Century Fox could reconsider their decision, given Gambit is a "pretty great project". Tatum also told the publication at the time that he would love to play the mutant if he got the opportunity and mentioned that he doesn't think he should direct it anymore.

Two years after the interview, Channing Tatum was seen as the character in the studio's latest movie.

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Apart from mentioning Ryan Reynolds in his recent tweet, Channing Tatum also mentioned the director of Deadpool & Wolverine, Shawn Levy. The actor called Shawn a "brilliant creator on every single level" and called the movie a masterpiece as well.

Toward the end of his tweet, Tatum mentioned that he was "literally screaming in the theater".