Gambit made his long-awaited return to live action, as portrayed by Channing Tatum, in Deadpool & Wolverine – and now Tatum’s version of the beloved mutant may very well enter the Marvel Comics Universe, playing a leading role in the upcoming TVA series. With its many connections to MCU lore, the TVA comic series has quickly become highly anticipated among the fandom, with Gambit’s inclusion adding to readers’ eagerness.
According to Marvel, TVA #1 – written by Katharyn Blair, with art by Pere Pérez – will inaugurate a new era across mediums for the Time Variance Authority, and in the process will bring the worlds of the Marvel Universe and the MCU more closely in concert than ever before.
While much about the “how” of this merger remains open to speculation, many fans have quickly come to believe that this will lead to a prominent role for Deadpool & Wolverine’s Gambit.
Marvel’s New TVA Limited Series Will Bring Channing Tatum’s Gambit Into Comics
TVA #1 – Written By Katharyn Blair, With Art By Pere Pérez; Debut Cover By Pepe Larraz
The Marvel Multiverse is constantly expanding, and while fans have long known that the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its comic book counterpart co-exist in this vast expanse of realities, they have – with limited exceptions – remained largely distinct from one another. That changes with Marvel’s TVA; according to the publisher, the five-issue series is intended to:
…represent an evolution for the Marvel Comics’ version of the TVA as it is blended with its Marvel Cinematic Universe counterpart.
Notably, Marvel hinted that this will include “the Marvel Comics debut of various MCU characters,” which astute readers immediately connected to Wolverine & Deadpool’s Gambit.
The announcement for the debut issue specifically mentions Miss Minutes as one of these MCU characters, while the others are left deliberately vague for the time being. It is no secret that a version of Gambit will appear in the series, as he features on both the cover for TVA #1 and in the issue’s advanced solicitation. It is not an unreasonable leap of logic to connect these dots and come to the conclusion that the freshly-introduced MCU version of Gambit will continue his story in the comic medium.
Channing Tatum’s Brief But Memorable Role In “Deadpool & Wolverine” Begs For A Follow-Up
Marvel Can Deliver With TVA
Channing Tatum has been associated with the live-action role of X-Men’s Gambit for nearly two decades, which made his appearance as the character in Deadpool & Wolverine a realization of a long-heralded casting decision, one that had become fixed in many fans’ minds. The uncertain ending for the character in the film left many viewers surprised, though a deleted scene ensuring MCU Gambit’s survival seemingly reassured fans that they have not witnessed the last of Tatum in the MCU – or as it turns out, the wider Marvel Universe.
A future
Gambit
solo film, or appearance by Tatum as a member of the MCU’s
X-Men
, could build off his comic book adventures following
Deadpool & Wolverine
with the Time Variance Authority.
While his on-screen fate remains to be determined, the opportunity for the fan-favorite character to extend his story in the new TVA series is an exciting one. In addition to giving MCU fans more incentive to check out the comic, Tatum’s Gambit is an ideal character to bridge the gap between mediums; a future Gambit solo film, or appearance by Tatum as a member of the MCU’s X-Men, could build off his comic book adventures following Deadpool & Wolverine with the Time Variance Authority.
The “TVA” Comic Ushers In A New Era Of Connectivity For Marvel’s Multi-Platform Multiverse
TVA #1 – Available December 18 From Marvel Comics
The Time Variance Authority originated in Marvel Comics, but it was Disney’s Loki TV series that fully realized the modern version of the concept, establishing it as a defining feature of the current phase of the MCU. Now, the cycle will continue, as the Cinematic TVA continues its story in the new comic series. More than that, the suggestion that this is the start of a new era of interconnectivity between Marvel’s films and comics makes it clear that this TVA series could be a gamechanging piece of lore for the Marvel Universe in both mediums.
It seems that Gambit will be at the forefront of that – and while he will share the spotlight in TVA with several notable characters, including another fan-favorite, Spider-Gwen, this is likely only the beginning for the variant. Perhaps beyond this miniseries, he will warrant his own title, likely by achieving a role of prominence in the plot of TVA as the book proceeds, and by continuing to be a fan-favorite character, as he quickly becomes as memorable of a Gambit as the classic main continuity version.
Source: Marvel Comics
TVA #1 will be available December 18, 2024.
