The 'Blink Twice' star addresses the criticism surrounding his Cajun-accented Gambit in the latest Marvel film and reveals his intentions behind the character's speech patterns.
- August 23, 2024
AceShowbiz - Channing Tatum has responded to the jokes made about his Cajun-accented Gambit in "Deadpool & Wolverine". Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool quipped, "Who's your dialect coach? The Minions?" referring to the mush-mouthed Minionese speakers from the "Despicable Me" movies.
In a Vanity Fair lie detector test, Tatum was asked if the "Minion" joke was "fair criticism." He replied, "No, I don't think that's fair." The lie detector confirmed he was being truthful.
Tatum explained that the accent joke was scripted by Reynolds and intended to be unintelligible. "We wanted it to be somewhat unintelligible. That was sort of the joke," he said.
Tatum further elaborated that his intention was to capture the nuances of the Cajun dialect while not making it fully comprehensible. "There are certain little isms that are very Cajun-y, but we actually intended it to be somewhat unintelligible," he said.
Reynolds praised Tatum's portrayal of Gambit, stating that he was "born to play" the role. He also commended Tatum's hard work and dedication to the character.
In "Deadpool & Wolverine", Tatum improvised some of the lines where Gambit's accent made it difficult to understand him. Director Shawn Levy revealed that Tatum added "a lot of Cajun and French flavor" to the character's dialogue.
Tatum expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to play Gambit, after years of trying to get a standalone movie off the ground. He stated, "I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But [Reynolds] fought for me and Gambit. I will owe him probably forever."
