Channing Tatum’s Canceled Gambit Movie Had a '30s Screwball Romantic Comedy Vibe Set in the Superhero World

Lizzy Caplan, the actress slated to star opposite Channing Tatum in the now-canceled Gambit film, recently revealed its unique vision to Business Insider. Describing the project as having "a really cool idea," Caplan painted a picture of a superhero film infused with the charm of a 1930s screwball romantic comedy.

Tatum's long-fought quest to portray the beloved X-Men character seemed destined to remain unrealized before his surprise appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine. His earlier attempts to bring a Gambit solo film to fruition were derailed by the 2019 Disney-Fox merger, an experience Tatum himself described as "traumatizing."

Caplan confirmed her involvement in the project as far back as 2017, stating that she'd signed on and even participated in pre-production meetings with Tatum. "We got down the road, we were gonna shoot it," she recalled. "I think there was a start date.”

Producer Simon Kinberg echoed this sentiment in a 2018 interview with IGN, describing the intended tone as a "romantic or sex comedy vibe," a choice driven by Gambit's inherent character traits. "When you look at Gambit," Kinberg explained, "he’s a hustler and a womanizer and we just felt like there was an attitude, a swagger to him, that lent itself to romantic comedy."

Caplan corroborated this description, stating, "They wanted to do, like, a '30s kind of screwball romantic comedy set in that world, which would have been really fun."

The future of Tatum's Gambit remains uncertain. While Marvel Studios has confirmed the X-Men's eventual entry into the MCU, any concrete plans for the character remain undisclosed. Last August, Ryan Reynolds' tweet showcasing a high-quality version of a previously obscured Deadpool & Wolverine scene ignited further speculation among fans.

Warning! Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers follow.