“I can say that there is almost no one that has had my back in this industry more than Ryan,” said Tatum, who claimed Reynolds “fought for” him to be in the new movie.
Channing Tatum is paying tribute to his longtime friend, Ryan Reynolds.
Tatum took to Instagram Monday to reflect on his longtime friendship with with the Canadian actor, penning an emotional post, in which he thanked Reynolds for for his surprise cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine.
WARNING: The details of Tatum’s cameo will be revealed below.
Sharing a photo from the pair’s appearance at San Diego Comic-Con back in 2015, alongside a recent shot of them posing at the event on July 25, Tatum — who was wearing the same Gambit shirt in both images — wrote, “These pictures are almost 10 years apart to the day.”
He continued, “I sat in the audience when Ryan 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 s–t you did it man. It’s perfect.”
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While Tatum said he didn’t know Reynolds much at all back then, there’s “almost no one” that supported him in the way the actor-director has.
“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 Ryan,” the Magic Mike star shared.
Tatum had long been dreaming of a standalone Gambit film and been working on it for four years when it was axed after Disney bought Fox in 2019. While the film and Tatum’s dreams of playing the character appeared dead, Reynolds recruited him to appear alongside Jennifer Garner’s Elektra, Wesley Snipes’ Blade and Dafne Keen’s X-23 for the new movie.
“I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But he fought for me and Gambit. I will owe him probably forever. ‘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 added, before giving a shoutout to Deadpool & Wolverine director, Shawn Levy.”Shawn Levy as well. Truly such a brilliant creator on every single level,” Tatum continued. All things happen for a reason. 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!! #deadpoolandwolverine.”
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Reynolds shared Tatum’s post on his Instagram Stories, writing, “Imagine having a front row seat to this guy. He’s not only a once in a generation talent but he’s a genuinely good man. I know what it feels like to will a character into existence.”
“Chan did that. And then put the most vivid version of that character on the screen like he was born to play this one guy,” he continued.
“We’ve shared two San Diego Comic-Cons. Two of the best days in my life happened while @channingtatum wore this shirt. Coincidence or conspiracy?” Reynolds jokingly concluded, adding a poll.
Tatum has long discussed the Gambit debacle, telling Variety back in 2022 that he was “traumatized” once the project got the kibosh.
“Once Gambit went away, I was so traumatized,” he told the outlet. “I shut off my Marvel machine. I haven’t been able to see any of the movies. I loved that character. It was just too sad. It was like losing a friend because I was so ready to play him.”
See who else made a surprise cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, out now, in the gallery below.
