Channing Tatum, who garnered significant acclaim for his role as Gambit in last summer’s blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, is set to return to his superhero persona in the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday. In fact, his Gambit will engage in a “major battle” with Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom as well. Amidst these recent developments, Channing also disclosed that before taking on Gambit, he was considered for another Marvel character. This character was none other than one of Marvel’s original Avengers, Thor, who ultimately was portrayed by Chris Hemsworth.
So, what prevented Channing Tatum from securing the role of the God of Thunder? It was due to an unsuccessful audition!
Channing’s Thor audition mishap
In a recent conversation with Variety, Channing shared insights about his initial effort to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Thor, prior to his Gambit role. He admitted that his audition did not go well. “I didn’t really want to be Thor,” he mentioned. “But I was eager to audition in front of Kenneth Branagh (the director).”
Reflecting on how poorly the audition went, the 45-year-old recounted, “After my first take, [Branagh] instructed me, ‘You’re not allowed to move. Place your hands on this chair.’ And I froze. He pinpointed my weakness. I spent the next five years working on my stillness.”
Channing Tatum’s abandoned Gambit project
Channing later secured a Gambit film at 20th Century Fox, intended to be part of the studio’s X-Men