The makings of Channing Tatum’s final Gambit scene in Deadpool & Wolverine and why it wasn’t used in the theatrical cut of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie gets explained by the film editors. Despite being Marvel Studios’ only theatrical outing for 2024, it didn’t stop Deadpool & Wolverine from not only becoming a massive box office hit but also a creative victory for the company. From all the Deadpool & Wolverine Easter eggs/references to the multiple cameos, the Shawn Levy-directed film also brought a long-time casting to life as Channing Tatum finally got to play Gambit in live-action.
Screen Rant recently interviewed the Deadpool & Wolverine editors Dean Zimmerman and Shane Reid about their work on the massive Phase 5 installment. One of the questions that got brought up was what the reasoning was for excluding Gambit’s real ending in Deadpool & Wolverine from the theatrical cut, as Reid revealed the following:
Shane Reid: A rhythm to the end credit sequence that we had [was] the Legacy reel [which] was a really important part of the process. It was something that we built, actually, while we were on strike, and that was a sentiment to come off the film with, and then it was from there, we knew that we had this really wonderful mic-drop-coda with Johnny Storm that was going to close the film out. I think the Gambit Sparkle Circle feels like a traditional Marvel coda, and I think what these guys were always trying to do was sort of subvert the audience’s expectations in that sense.
So we had this wonderful piece and it was in at times and out. This is the brilliance of Ryan and his understanding of marketing and social media and how to use it, so they had other plans for what you could do with that kind of material and how you could put it out there and get the audience’s appetite warmed up for it, but also leave the audience with a Deadpool movie that, through and through, feels like a Deadpool movie and ending it the way it did, just always felt right.
What The Deadpool & Wolverine Editors’ Comments Mean For The Cut Scene
From all the Deadpool & Wolverine cameos to the overall story for Wade Wilson and Logan, it makes a lot of sense why Gambit escaping the Void was something left out of the theatrical cut. To begin with, Deadpool & Wolverine wasn’t only about getting Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman into the MCU, but it was also a massive celebration of the Fox-Marvel movie era. Using the credits to look back at projects to come out of 20th Century Fox’s time with their own Marvel properties felt more special and unique.
It’s also key to remember that even though Evans’ Johnny Storm was the one who got to deliver one of the biggest rants in an MCU film of all time, the Deadpool & Wolverine post-credits scene still put Wade in the focus of it all. With the humor aside, Deadpool is still the final character to finish his own movie, with this installment marking the conclusion to his trilogy. In a genre where the cameo concept has sometimes taken an exaggerated turn, Deadpool & Wolverine was able to avoid that. This largely includes the decision to not have the final thing people see in this film be a character who just debuted in this story.
Our Take On Why Gambit’s Deleted Scene Was Cut From Deadpool & Wolverine
As fun as it would have been to see Gambit’s true conclusion in the theatrical cut, it makes sense why they didn’t include it in the Deadpool & Wolverine ending. It is possible that if Tatum ends up coming back as Gambit in the future, Marvel Studios may want to do something more detailed with his moment in the Void for the overall story of The Multiverse Saga when the portal begins to open. But for now, the world will have to wait and see what happens to Tatum’s Gambit after Deadpool & Wolverine.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now available on Digital Download, while its 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD release is set for October 22.
