Channing Tatum Talks Balancing Gambit’s Cajun Accent in AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY - “It’s Always an Interesting Negotiation”
When fans finally got to see Channing Tatum live out his long-awaited dream of playing Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, it was fun treat.
It might’ve taken a while, and a studio shift from 20th Century Fox to Marvel Studios, but the card-throwing mutant has officially entered the MCU. And now, as Tatum gears up to return in Avengers: Doomsday, he’s opening up about one of the trickiest parts of bringing Remy LeBeau to life… finding the right balance for that signature Cajun accent.
During an interview with People, Tatum revealed that perfecting Gambit’s voice has been “an interesting negotiation,” especially under the direction of Joe and Anthony Russo, who are helming Avengers: Doomsday.
“It's always an interesting negotiation. When you go down to Lafayette where most of the Cajuns are and Cajun culture, there's a huge spectrum of Cajun. It's massive.
“And so I have to interpret what I need to get across in the scene. And I got to make sure that, ‘Is this line for a joke and can I really Cajun this one up? Or is this line for plot and do I need to be really clear but still in a Cajun accent?’”
The actor explained that the Russo Brothers wanted to dial things back a bit compared to Deadpool & Wolverine. According to Tatum, the directors told him not to go “full Cajun” this time around because they “want to keep the drama and keep it tight.”
In Deadpool & Wolverine, Gambit’s thick accent was part of the comedy, Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson even joked about whether the Minions were his dialect coach. That exaggerated tone will be toned down in Avengers: Doomsday, but Tatum says the humor won’t completely disappear.
“It's always a bit of a push and pull. [The Russo Brothers] love their comedy and that's always going to be in there as well, but it's definitely going to be a dramatic movie.”
It’s been confirmed that Tatum’s Gambit in Avengers: Doomsday is the same variant from Deadpool & Wolverine who escaped The Void, though how he fits into the story is still under wraps.
The film’s massive ensemble will include seven other confirmed X-Men members including Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Ian McKellen’s Magneto, Rebecca Romijn’s Mystique, Kelsey Grammer’s Beast, Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler, and James Marsden’s Cyclops. Whether Ryan Reynolds will return as Deadpool is still uncertain, but he’ll most likely show up.
This time, the mutants will join forces with the Avengers, the New Avengers, and the Fantastic Four to take on Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
We still have a long wait before Avengers: Doomsday lands in theaters on December 18, 2026, but it’s going to be really interesting to see how this next epic Avengers movie turns out.