Channing Tatum Joins Kingsman 2 Cast: Gambit Delays Blessing In Disguise
Channing Tatum is desirable in more ways than one. The certifiable hunk has just joined the Kingsmen 2 cast, which probably wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the constant delays in his Gambit project. Tatum announced that he has joined the A-list cast via Twitter, but Channing’s role is unclear because, according to The Hollywood Reporter, he was offered several roles in Kingsman: The Golden Circle that ranged from supporting to a cameo.
Tatum might have left us a clue regarding his role within his announcement tweet, which suggests that he may be playing a “Statesman,” an American counterpart to the “Kingsman.”
I’m about to get all up in that Golden Circle. #Kingsman pic.twitter.com/LqCPJ6monO
There is a lot of anticipation for the sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service, a 2014 British spy movie directed by Matthew Vaughn and starring Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Taron Egerton. Colin Firth’s character Harry Hart supposedly died in Secret Service, but it looks like Eggsy’s mentor may not be as dead as we thought. A cryptic tweet from Egerton regarding an exaggerated death and teasers showing Egerton and Firth made the rounds recently. Judging from the bloody mess that surrounded Hart’s exit in the first Kingsman, it will be fascinating to see how he is reintroduced, because it is pretty clear Firth will return. Maybe he’s a zombie.
Tatum might not have gotten The Kingsman 2 role if his Gambit movie had not been delayed — again. Director Rupert Wyatt backed out after constant changes and an inflated budget led to delays that ran into another project Wyatt was working on. Those delays made it possible for Channing to accept the Golden Circle role before he tackles his MIB 23 project. His 23 Jump Street/Men In Black crossover project has had its own problems because of the Sony hack that revealed the secret project, a notion that didn’t and still doesn’t sit too well with critics.
It’s a bit of a mystery as to when Gambit will start shooting, and the October release date has been pulled with no new date announced. This is a bit disappointing to fans who were excited to see how Channing Tatum will interpret the Cajun card-thrower graced with the power to mentally manipulate kinetic energy.
Production for Kingsman: The Golden Circle will start in early May in London, and while the plot is largely unknown, there are a few tidbits that have been revealed. Halle Berry will play Ginger, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency; Julianne Moore is the villain, Poppy; Pedro Pascal from Game of Thrones has been cast as a character named Jack Daniels; and Elton John’s role is still a mystery, much like the plot. It is reported that the sequel continues to follow the adventures of Eggsy, a former British hoodlum that was recruited into a secret espionage organization by the man whose life was saved by his father, a former Kingsman.
Doug Liman from the Bourne series will direct Kingsman: The Golden Circle which is slotted to be released on June 16, 2017. How do you feel about Channing Tatum joining the cast and do you think Gambit will ever start shooting? Sound off in the comment section.
[Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images]
