Actually, Gambit Shouldn’t Have A Solo Movie & The X-Men’s Cinematic History Proves It

The history of the X-Men franchise in movies and TV proves that Gambit should not have a solo movie, despite being a fantastic character. Gambit’s popularity in mainstream media skyrocketed in 2024, primarily thanks to his cameo appearance in Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Gambit appeared as one of the pruned heroes living in The Void played by Channing Tatum, giving both the character and the actor who unsuccessfully campaigned to play Remy LeBeau for years some semblance of justice by the time of Deadpool & Wolverine’s ending.

Although Channing Tatum’s Gambit movie did not get off the ground, Deadpool & Wolverine offered him, and the character, a sense of redemption. Combined with the depiction of Gambit as one of X-Men ’97‘s best characters, the longtime Marvel Comics X-Men character had a 2024 to remember. Naturally, this has led to speculation that Gambit may finally receive his solo movie after all, potentially with Tatum in the role once more. While Gambit is certainly a great character, the history of the X-Men franchise proves a solo movie would be unwise.

Ryan Reynolds Recently Teased A Potential Gambit Movie With Channing Tatum

Deadpool & Wolverine Is The Biggest Factor Supporting A Gambit Solo Movie

Firstly, it is worth exploring one of the reasons as to why a solo Gambit movie with Tatum in the role is more likely now than ever. Of course, a lot of this can be attributed to the reception his character received in Deadpool & Wolverine. However, Ryan Reynolds recently poured fuel on the fire by releasing a cut scene from the movie that almost plays out like a post-credit scene for Deadpool & Wolverine. Reynolds shared the scene on his Instagram page, giving Marvel theorists a lot to chew on regarding the future of Gambit in the MCU.

The scene depicts Gambit walking through the wreckage of Cassandra Nova’s base in The Void. This presumably takes place after the climactic battle toward the end of Deadpool & Wolverine in which the titular duo escaped The Void, leaving Gambit behind alongside other allies like Elektra, Blade, and X-23. The scene shows Gambit turning from the dead bodies littered around him, smirking as the reflection of a portal illuminates his eyes, teasing his escape from The Void. If left in the movie, this would be a surefire hint that Gambit would return in the vast list of upcoming MCU movies.

Channing Tatum’s Gambit Should Return, But Not In A Solo Movie

The X-Men’s Movie History Proves Solo Movies Are Not As Effective

With this cut Deadpool & Wolverine scene making a Gambit return more of a possibility, it remains the case that it should happen, but not in a solo movie. It is worth noting that Gambit is a great character, and Tatum deserves to play him after Deadpool & Wolverine due to his passion for the source material. However, the X-Men movie timeline has proved that mutant characters often work best as part of a team. Although some solo X-Men films have worked, more often than not it is the team dynamic that makes individual mutant characters shine.

Of all the X-Men movies released, it is those that focused on a team dynamic that worked best. The best-ranked X-Men movies usually include X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: First Class, and X-Men: Days of Future Past, all of which center heavily on the team rather than any individual hero. The Last Stand and Dark Phoenix attempted to tell a Jean Grey-centric story and mostly failed, and while X-Men: Apocalypse was not the best X-Men movie, it still thrived in its depiction of the younger team.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was the franchise’s first attempt at a solo movie and is still counted as one of the weakest comic book movies ever made. The Wolverine and Logan admittedly work excellently as solo movies but are driven primarily by Wolverine’s hyper-famous nature. The Deadpool franchise has proven solo movies can work also, but even then, the character had team dynamics with other X-Men characters like Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Colossus, Domino, and Cable, and often exists as a solo property even in Marvel Comics.

All of this proves that Gambit should not return in a solo movie, but instead as part of another ensemble film. His appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine alone proves this. Gambit worked fantastically as another member of the film’s resistance, bouncing off of the other characters with ease. While this is not to say a Gambit solo movie would never work, it is simply to say Gambit thrives as part of a team. X-Men ’97 also proved this, with Gambit’s interactions with his team members and their dedication to him after his death driving the entire story of season 1.

How Channing Tatum’s Gambit Could Return In The MCU’s Future

There Are Plenty Of Team Movie Tatum’s Gambit Could Play A Part In

All that being said, there are several team movies Gambit could appear in as the MCU goes along. An obvious choice would be Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. These two movies are set to focus heavily on the multiverse, especially the latter, meaning variants are expected to appear in great volume. Given the reaction to his character in Deadpool & Wolverine, Tatum’s Gambit could be folded into the story of both films.

Another possibility links to Marvel’s X-Men movie that is in development. Deadpool & Wolverine did not confirm which universe Gambit was originally from. It could be retconned that Gambit was actually from Earth-616 and pruned long ago, with the portal in the cut Deadpool & Wolverine scene returning him back home. This would allow Tatum to return in the MCU’s X-Men movie as the team’s Gambit, giving the actor a chance to play the character once more while capitalizing on the latter’s ability to fit into a team dynamic.

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