ThoughDeadpool & Wolverineacts asa curtain callfor the Fox Marvel universe,Channing Tatum’s Gambit “made a name for himself” and then walked away from it all at the end. At least, that’s whatthe deleted post-credits sceneshows, as Remy LeBeau steps around the bodies of his fallen enemies and notices a portal opening up to get him out of the void. The scene nearly ended up in the final product, thoughShawn Levy’s film ultimately relegates the triumphant moment to ablink-and-you’ll-miss-it easter eggon a screen when Deadpool returns to the TVA to clear his name.Screen Rantrecently interviewed the film’s editorsDean ZimmermanandShane Reid, during which the latter shared why the choice was made to keep Gambit’s survival obscured instead of giving him a more prominent spot at the end.
The end ofDeadpool & Wolverinethat viewers ended up seeing included a post-credits moment whereRyan Reynolds’s Merc with a Mouth provides footage of a previously unseen moment in whichChris Evans’s Johnny Stormunleashes the tirade of R-rated insults about Cassandra Novahe claimed. Beyond being a hilarious scene that proves to everyone that Johnny wasn’t the squeaky-clean American hero he seemed, it is a moment Reid believes fits with the tone ofDeadpool. As much as it isa love letter to a bygone era of superhero films, the movie isn’t afraid to poke fun either and let these classic characters shine comedically. It also comes after the legacy reel that plays over the credits and looks back at the oldX-MenandFantastic Fourmovies.
Reid felt that putting the scene of Gambit’s survival amid all of that would break up the rhythm of what was otherwisea perfect endingfor the kind of filmDeadpool & Wolverineis:
“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.”
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Planned for the Gambit Scene to Get Extra Attention
The loss of the Gambit scene didn’t come without a concerted effort to give Tatum’s ill-fated hero one more chance to shine. In the end, though, this movie is still Deadpool’s first and foremost, and it’s only fitting that he closes out the trilogy. For Reynolds, it also represented an opportunity. A month after the film hit theaters and everyone had a chance to see the multiversal madness,he shared the scene onlineto clarify what viewers were seeing on the screen at the TVA headquarters. Such a move served to get fans buzzing aboutDeadpool & Wolverineagain, re-energizing viewersen route to a $1.33 billion worldwide box office. Reid shared how everything came together to influence their final decision to leave the scene out, adding:
“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.”
Whether it means that Tatum’s Gambit isreturning in some capacityremains to be seen, but the star is remaining pragmatic about the situation. His journey to playing the X-Men member stems back to 2006 when he was unofficially cast forX-Men: The Last Standand spanned through thedevelopment and re-development of a solo filmwith multiple different directors until it was officially killed by the Disney and 20th Century Fox merger. He’s used to losing the role he loves, and he was ready for this appearance, however iconic, to be a one-off. Inan interview with Collider’sPerri NemiroffforBlink Twice, however, he assured he would be on board ifKevin Feigecame calling for more. “I mean, literally, I could never be in another Marvel movie again, and it wouldn’t surprise me because I’ve had it in my hand before, and it’s gone away. I’m always grain-of-salting it, but I’m hoping that Kevin [Feige] will allow me in.”
Deadpool & Wolverineis now available on digital platforms. There is no date for when it will stream on Disney+
Deadpool & Wolverine
Wolverine joins the “merc with a mouth” in the third installment of the Deadpool film franchise.
