Taylor Kitsch Opens Up About Losing Gambit Role to Channing Tatum in DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Taylor Kitsch, who played Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is finally speaking out about being replaced by Channing Tatum in Deadpool & Wolverine and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. And no, he’s not bitter about it.
Back in 2009, X-Men Origins: Wolverine gave fans their first live-action Gambit, and while Kitsch brought some slick card-throwing charm to the screen, plans for the character’s future quickly shifted. Despite a solid performance, Gambit didn’t resurface again in the franchise, at least not with Kitsch in the role.
Fast forward a few years and Tatum was being pushed hard to headline a solo Gambit film. That project fell apart multiple times as 20th Century Fox cycled through directors like Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman, and Gore Verbinski without ever getting it off the ground.
But, the studio clearly had its eye on Tatum for years, and producer Lauren Shuler Donner was reportedly the one to cast him, largely based on his public enthusiasm for the character. That move essentially left Kitsch behind.
Speaking to Screen Rant while promoting The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, Kitsch was asked if he’d seen Tatum’s take on the mutant thief in Deadpool & Wolverine, he responded: "I have not."
When asked if the role switch was a sore subject, he responded, "No, no, not at all, man. That's the business, man. It's all good. It's like I love the path I'm on and the actor I've become and the stories I'm engaging in. No pun intended, here's a quote for you, but Gambit wasn't in the cards for me, man."
The actor seems content with how things turned out, even if some fans still wish they could’ve seen more of his Gambit.
"Never say never, but I don't know, man. I don't know. I love where I'm at, man, so I have no regrets with it. It just wasn't, sometimes it's not in my power to say who's who or who gets to play what. So I can only focus on the people that want to work with me and collaborate with me."
Meanwhile, Tatum finally got his chance to suit up as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, a full-circle moment that’s been years in the making. He expressed deep gratitude for Ryan Reynolds, who apparently championed his inclusion in the movie.
"I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But [Ryan Reynolds] fought for me and Gambit," Tatum revealed after the film’s release. "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...I’m so grateful to be in this movie. It’s a masterpiece in my opinion. And just pure bad ass joy. I was literally screaming in the theater."
Tatum is still holding out hope for that solo Gambit movie, too, "I’ve been saying I want it for the last 10 years. It’s in Bob Iger and Kevin Feige’s hands. I pray to God."
Kitsch may be out of the picture, but he seems at peace with it. While Tatum finally lives his dream of playing Remy LeBeau on the big screen, Kitsch has moved on and embraced the next chapter of his career.