Gambit’s enjoying a notable surge in popularity at present. The mutant superhero gained significant attention in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Portrayed by Channing Tatum, the Cajun thief captivated audiences in every scene he appeared in, thanks to his enigmatic accent and irreverent remarks about his battlefield readiness. The character also experienced a profoundly emotional moment in 2024’s “X-Men ’97,” where he sacrificed himself to annihilate a Sentinel poised to slaughter other mutants. Currently, Gambit is basking in a wave of goodwill, and Tatum is slated to return to his role in the forthcoming “Avengers: Doomsday.”

Given these circumstances, it stands to reason that Marvel Studios should seize this opportunity and approve a standalone Gambit movie (ideally with Tatum leading the charge). In “Deadpool & Wolverine,” this version of Gambit mainly serves as comic relief, but his long-standing presence in the comics since 1990 justifies his starring role in his own film. Boasting some of the most fascinating abilities, Gambit can generate kinetic energy, often channeling it into explosive playing cards that he hurls at foes. While there’s potential for other mutants to make guest appearances, Gambit’s rich history and entertaining persona make it surprising that a script isn’t already in development right now.

Despite this, there hasn’t been any official word from Marvel Studios regarding interest in such a film, although Gambit might very well be Marvel’s secret weapon in introducing the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With a vast Multiverse replete with stories waiting to be shared, here’s a comprehensive look at everything there is to know about the prospect of a Gambit solo movie.

The lack of a Gambit solo movie isn’t for a lack of trying. Originally played by Taylor Kitsch, Remy LeBeau made his big-screen debut in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” which didn’t exactly leave a stellar impression on audiences. Suffice it to say, he deserved better — which is where the story of Channing Tatum’s unmade Gambit film begins.

Tatum had been interested in playing the mutant for a while. He was initially offered the part in “Origins,” but had to turn it down due to his commitment to “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” After “Origins,” the X-Men franchise got a soft reboot with “X-Men: First Class,” and the stage was set for Gambit to be reintroduced. In May 2014, Tatum signed on to play the X-Man in “X-Men: Apocalypse” (the character was cut before “Apocalypse” was shot) before helming a solo film. The flick, which even had a release date of October 7, 2016, wasn’t going to involve the character saving the world, which is so often the case with superhero movies. Instead, it would’ve utilized mobsters and other criminals in a lower-stakes story compared to the other offerings in the X-Men franchise.

Unfortunately, the pieces never fell into place. The script underwent numerous rewrites, and several directors came and went. Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman, and Gore Verbinski were all attached to direct at various points, and Edgar Wright was offered the gig but declined. Tatum and his producing partner, Reid Carolin, even floated the idea of directing it themselves just to get things going, but Fox shut this idea down. The project was killed for good in 2019 following the merger between Disney and 20th Century Fox, so after all of that, Tatum’s Gambit seemed forever lost to the Void.

Working for years on “Gambit” only to have it amount to nothing hit Tatum hard. He told Variety in 2022, “I was so traumatized. I shut off my Marvel machine. I haven’t been able to see any of the [MCU] movies.” But the Ragin’ Cajun’s day finally came when he scored a small supporting role in 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” where he’s revealed to be trapped in the Void alongside Elektra (Jennifer Garner), Blade (Wesley Snipes), and X-23 (Dafne Keen). Tatum’s Gambit quickly became a fan favorite, and it sounds like the gears may have started turning once more on the prospect of the popular mutant getting his own standalone film.

Appearing on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” post-“Deadpool & Wolverine,” Tatum seemed hopeful that he’ll get another chance at a solo film. “Kevin Feige runs Marvel,” the actor said. “I love him so much — he literally was like, ‘Look, I love Gambit. I just don’t know how to do it right now. I don’t know how he fits into what we’re doing, so I need to have a minute to figure it out.'”

Of course, this could simply be a studio head trying to appease a popular actor and stay on his good side just in case they ever decide they want to work with them in the future. The MCU is presently in the midst of its Multiverse Saga that should close out with “Avengers: Doomsday” (which Tatum has been cast in) and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” while other projects, like “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” are in the works. Chances are Marvel Studios wants to make sure it gets those “Avengers” movies just right before signing off on solo X-Men films.

Channing Tatum has been incredibly complimentary toward Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, which makes sense; after all, it’s wise to be nice to the boss when you want something from them. Although he hasn’t spoken specifically about a Gambit solo movie, Feige does have big plans for Marvel’s premier mutant team; according to The Wall Street Journal, he “has a 10-year plan for the [X-Men] characters.”

Audiences have already received a little taste of mutants in the MCU. Several have appeared in other realities, such as Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) being part of the Illuminati on Earth-838 in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Additionally, “Ms. Marvel” changed Kamala Khan’s (Iman Vellani) origin to make her a mutant, a move that confirmed that the X-Men are coming to the franchise, one way or another.

If the MCU is currently in the Multiverse Saga, then all signs point to everything post-“Secret Wars” being the Mutant Saga. 10 years offers a lot of opportunities for X-stories to drive the MCU’s narrative, and there have been rumors for a while now that Marvel’s goal is to release an “Avengers vs. X-Men” film at some point. That said, there are still plenty of questions to be answered. Which mutants will the MCU want to focus on? Are they all going to be team or team-up films, or will there be a chance for some solo action? And will the MCU get away from Wolverine being the face of the X-Men and opt for someone else, like, say, Gambit?

The fact that a solo Gambit movie is still a possibility is really all thanks to one person: Ryan Reynolds. The man who plays the Merc with a Mouth played a significant role in getting Channing Tatum involved with “Deadpool & Wolverine,” introducing his Gambit to the world. Once the film was released, Tatum posted on Instagram (via People) thanking Reynolds for all of his help. “I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But [Ryan] fought for me and Gambit,” he wrote. “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.”

Speaking about the prospect of a Gambit movie on Entertainment Weekly’s Awardist podcast, Reynolds said, “I honestly don’t know what goes on behind closed doors in the bookkeeping sessions at Marvel, but I do know that they’re obsessed with [Tatum] in that role.” Again, there’s nothing confirmed about whether a solo Gambit movie is happening, but it does sound promising. Reynolds continued, saying that he could relate to Tatum because the way the first “Deadpool” movie got made also came down to showing the higher-ups what the people really want.

Reynolds first played the Merc with a Mouth in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” a debut that didn’t go over well. But Reynolds persevered, and a “Deadpool” script was mysteriously leaked to the public in 2010. People loved it, so 20th Century Fox commissioned test footage — but that was sidelined as well, When it leaked online years later, the overwhelmingly positive reaction from fans forced Fox to push forward with a solo Deadpool movie, and the rest is history. The hope is that executives seeing how much people love Tatum’s Gambit might make them more inclined to finally pull the trigger on his own movie.

As mentioned previously, there was a version of the Gambit solo movie script that featured low-level villains. (It’s unclear how many iterations the script went through during its long time in development hell before the Disney-Fox merger, but one has to assume there were quite a few options on the table.) According to a recent statement from Lizzy Caplan, who was attached to star as the female lead at one point, the film also would’ve been quite funny.

In an interview with Business Insider, Caplan said, “They wanted to do, like, a ’30s kind of screwball romantic comedy set in that world, which would have been really fun.” The “world” she’s probably referring to is that of superhero films, which don’t typically hone in on characters’ romantic natures. But Gambit is nothing if not a ladies’ man, and this approach lines up with a 2018 statement from Simon Kinberg, who was going to be a producer on the film. As he told IGN, “I would say the vibe of Gambit has a romantic or sex comedy vibe to it. While it is also still very much a superhero movie with villains and heroes, as all these movies are.”

Just because the original plan for “Gambit” was to focus on rom-com elements doesn’t mean a potential future solo film will take the same approach. Significant changes will likely be required to make the character fit within the larger machinations of the MCU. That said, since Gambit is a bit of a lover boy, it’d be great if at least some elements of the original story carry over, especially if the film has lower stakes that don’t involve the entire planet getting threatened.

Considering the fact that a Gambit solo movie hasn’t even been greenlit, it’s impossible to say who would theoretically star in it. The only certainty would probably be Channing Tatum, seeing as he was already established as the MCU’s Gambit in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” That film has a deleted scene that confirms Gambit gets out of the Void, meaning he exits a reality full of discarded characters and enters a “proper” universe. It remains to be seen which reality he’s currently living in, but it’s worth noting that Tatum appears to be set to reprise his role as Gambit in “Avengers: Doomsday.”

The next major Avengers film will also see other former “X-Men” actors come back into their classic mutant roles, including Ian McKellan as Magneto, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler. But while the old X-crew is getting back together, it wouldn’t really make sense for them to hang around in the long term, though their return works for “Doomsday,” since its plot will involve the Multiverse, and Marvel would naturally like to recapture some nostalgic magic.

That said, the odds are against many, if any, of those actors continuing to play their mutant roles going forward in the MCU. If Marvel truly has a 10-year plan for the X-Men, then it needs to invest in entirely new actors who can put their own stamp on the iconic characters. Channing Tatum’s hypothetical Gambit movie would almost certainly need to involve these fresh faces.

Channing Tatum’s Gambit will be part of the cast for “Avengers: Doomsday,” and, honestly, his inclusion may be the make-or-break moment where Marvel executives decide whether he can carry his own movie. Gambit functions perfectly as comedic relief in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” showing up and speaking in a thick Cajun accent, which Deadpool comments on to great effect. But it’s worth noting that Gambit is genuinely difficult to understand, and it’s unclear if audiences would be willing to sit through an entire movie where they’re constantly struggling to figure out what the main character is saying.

Tatum’s Gambit may have exited the Void in a deleted scene, but that doesn’t mean that’ll be the version of Gambit we see in “Doomsday.” This movie will involve the Multiverse, and given how many former X-Men actors are also in the cast, it seems likely that one of the universes at play will involve a full X-Men squad. Tatum may play a different version of Gambit, one that’s native to that universe — and is a lot easier to understand. Even though it’s unlikely Gambit will have a ton of screen time, given the sheer size of the “Doomsday” cast, it would be nice to see him show off a more dramatic side, perhaps mourning some fellow mutants whom Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) has killed or getting romantic with his primary love interest, Rogue (originally played by Anna Paquin).

The fact that Marvel executives were “obsessed” with Tatum’s Gambit, according to Reynolds, likely helped the character squeeze into “Doomsday.” But it could also prove to be his testing ground. Does this version of the character work in a setting where he’s not making meta jokes about his long-gestating solo movie falling apart? That remains to be seen.

We’ve spent all this time wondering whether Marvel Studios could make a solo Gambit movie, but it’s also important to consider whether they should. After all, solo X-Men films have been a pretty mixed bag up until this point. The “Deadpool” trilogy is solid, although the third one pairs him up with Wolverine and is more of a buddy film than a straightforward solo affair. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is a disaster, but “Logan” is arguably the best “X-Men” film to date. The fact is, these characters tend to work best as part of a team. A solo Gambit film could very well be cinematic bliss, but with so many mutants Marvel can play with now, is a movie solely dedicated to Gambit really the best move?

Marvel will probably want to establish its new primary X-Men team featuring characters like Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Kitty Pryde before branching out into more specialized projects. Reports indicate the studio has hired Michael Lesslie, who previously penned the screenplay for “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” to write an “X-Men” film, and “Thunderbolts*” director Jake Schreier is reportedly the pick to direct, so it’s obviously a priority. (Ryan Reynolds is writing his own X-Men team-up film that’ll include Deadpool and a few other mutant characters, although it seems he’s doing that independently rather than Marvel hiring him to do so.)

Gambit could easily work within one or both of those storylines. As proven in “X-Men: The Animated Series” and “X-Men ’97,” Gambit works great as part of an ensemble, and it may be for the best to keep him that way. Of course, if the right story comes along, anything can be worth making, and Tatum has certainly put in the work to make it happen.