SPOILER alert: This story contains spoilers for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which is now playing in theaters.
Channing Tatum took to social media on Monday night to thank Ryan Reynolds for making his “Deadpool & Wolverine” cameo happen, saying he’ll owe the Marvel star “probably forever.”
In “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Tatum finally got to debut his “X-Men” mutant Gambit. He and his producing partner, Reid Carolin, spent four years developing a standalone film on the character for 20th Century Fox, but the project fell through when Disney and Fox merged in 2019. Now, Gambit has made it to the big screen.
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Channing Tatum Rejoices Over Gambit Debut in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’: Ryan Reynolds ‘Fought for Me’ After I Thought I Lost the Character Forever
In his post, Tatum shared two side-by-side photos of him and Reynolds at Comic-Con: one from nearly a decade ago when Reynolds first previewed “Deadpool,” and the other from last weekend when the “Deadpool & Wolverine” crew surprised everyone by bringing out many of the stars who cameoed in the film.
“These pictures are almost 10 years apart to the day. I sat in the audience when Ryan Reynolds showed his first peek of Deadpool 1 to the world and I think I ran back stage right after and found him and I think I just hugged him and was like holy shit you did it man. It’s perfect,” Tatum wrote. “I didn’t know him really at all back then. But since then I can say that there is almost no one that has had my back in this industry more than @VancityReynolds.”
These pictures are almost 10 years apart to the day. I sat in the audience when Ryan Reynolds showed his first peek of Deadpool 1 to the world and I think I ran back stage right after and found him and I think I just hugged him and was like holy shit you did it man. It’s perfect.… pic.twitter/B5viY2f7nl
— Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) July 30, 2024
Tatum expressed how much finally bringing Gambit to life meant to him, saying “I thought I had lost Gambit forever” but Reynolds “fought for me and Gambit.”
“I will owe him probably forever,” Tatum said. “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.”
He went on to praise “Deadpool & Wolverine” director Shawn Levy too, calling him “truly such a brilliant creator on every single level.”
“All things happen for a reason,” Tatum concluded of his “Deadpool & Wolverine” experience. “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. LFG!!”
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is in theaters now.
