NOTE: Massive spoilers ahead for “Deadpool & Wolverine.” If you’ve remained unspoiled on the film’s surprise characters, turn back now.
Channing Tatum was among the many surprise appearances in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” finally getting to live out his dream of playing Gambit on the big screen, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And the actor says he’ll owe Ryan Reynolds “forever” for making that happen.
In a post to X on Monday, Tatum posted two photos of himself with Reynolds, both taken at San Diego Comic-Con. In both photos, Tatum is wearing a Gambit t-shirt, though the images were taken almost 10 years apart.
“I sat in the audience when Ryan Reynolds 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— you did it man,” Tatum wrote in the caption. “It’s perfect. 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.”
The actor then shed a little light on just how instrumental Reynolds was in making Gambit a reality.
“I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But he fought for me and Gambit. I will owe him probably forever,” Tatum continued. “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.”
Tatum also heaped praise onto “Deadpool & Wolverine” director Shawn Levy, thanking him for the opportunity to be in the “masterpiece” of a film, that had Tatum “literally screaming in the theater.”
On Tuesday morning, Reynolds responded, gushing over Tatum just as hard.
“Imagine having a front row seat to this guy. He’s not only a once in a generation talent but a genuinely GOOD man,” Reynolds wrote. “I know what it feels like to WILL a character into existence and Chan did just that. Then he put the most vivid/authentic version of the character onscreen.”
He continued, “This was our second San Diego Comic Con. Two of the best days of my life happened while @channingtatum wore this shirt. Coincidence or conspiracy?”
You can see the full exchange below.