Deadpool 3 Will Ruin The MCU X-Men Before It Even Starts

The possibility of Gambit in «Deadpool 3» highlights these issues in a huge way. 

Channing Tatum’s «Gambit» movie is one of superhero cinema’s greatest «what if…?» stories. It was supposed to be part of Fox’s «X-Men» franchise back in the day, but the project was shelved following the Disney acquisition. Now, Tatum might get to play Gambit after all, as he is rumored to be joining the cast of «Deadpool 3.»

Given that Tatum’s «Gambit» project would have been part of Fox’s «X-Men» franchise, it’s safe to assume that he wouldn’t be cast as the main MCU iteration of Remy LeBeau. His role would be similar to Nicolas Cage’s cameo as Superman in «The Flash» — a quirky nod to an unproduced project that fans have dreamed of seeing for years. The difference is that Superman has had many, many onscreen iterations, so giving Cage a (brief) chance didn’t greatly impact the character’s future. Gambit, meanwhile, is a fan-favorite X-Men comics character who was largely ignored by the Fox films. His arrival in the MCU should be a big deal, and beating that debut to the punch with a silly Channing Tatum cameo risks undermining the character’s future. 

Yes, such a scene might be funny. But is it worth the loss of Gambit truly getting to shine in the MCU, as a major X-Men player, like he never did in the Fox universe? Sure, maybe the movie will incorporate its X-Men characters from various timelines into a great story that’s as compelling as «Spider-Man: No Way Home.» But honestly, it’s more likely that they’ll just be the butt of the Merc’s wink-wink, nudge-nudge jokes, and that’s a shame.