Believe it or not, Channing Tatum was once a front runner to play Captain America in the MCU. And it’s easy to see why. Could he get another chance at the character now that Chris Evans has left?
The ending of Avengers: Endgame meant a monumental step for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was the moment when we knew some of the actors we had known and loved for years would probably no longer play their iconic roles – the last goodbye to the characters that defined a generation.
With such a significant cultural moment, it would stand to reason that not everyone would be so pleased with some of the changes introduced in the series going forward. Perhaps one of the most controversial ones is the matter of who is becoming the new Captain America.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier made it very clear that Steve Rogers’ successor would be his long-time friend, Sam Wilson, aka The Falcon. Still, giving your character such a significant makeover will undoubtedly be met with some resilience by general audiences, especially when they have grown to love Chris Evans’ interpretation of such an iconic character.
And that’s why the Marvel Multiverse is such a blessing for the producers of this franchise. The concept of multiple realities has opened the floodgates to a whole new world of narrative potential, including casting different actors to play the same character.
Fans aren’t too receptive about Anthony Mackie becoming the new Cap? No problem: the Marvel multiverse has them covered.
So, who’s the actor who we believe would make a Captain America that’s worthy of following Chris Evans’ legacy?
Why none other than Channing Tatum, of course.
For some unexplained reason, Tatum has avoided the MCU so far. He’s one of the few remaining big names in Hollywood that has avoided the superhero genre altogether. Well, with the small exception of voicing Superman in some of the Lego movies. Still, it’s almost baffling that an actor of Tatum’s calibre has not appeared on the MCU yet, and we believe that he would be the perfect fit to play an alternate-reality version of Steve Rogers.
Think of it this way: in the Loki Disney+ series it was exposed that “variants” could exhibit radically different physical attributes between universes. This could be the perfect way to introduce Tatum as an alternate Rogers, one that could coexist with Sam Wilson’s new Captain America.
Sure, we’d have two Captain Americas running around in the same universe — but stranger things have happened to those who mess with the multiverse.
The chances of Disney backpedalling on their decision of Anthony Mackie being the new Cap are slim, to say the least.
However, as we’ve explained before, that is the best part about the multiverse. Having Channing Tatum join the franchise as an alternative Captain America would mean that all of Sam Wilson’s character development still stands.
Fans of Mackie’s Falcon would be happy to know that the actor gets to keep the moniker that once belonged to Chris Evans, while some other mew fans might get to see an entirely new version of Captain America — played by Channing Tatum — joining the ranks of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. It’s also worth mentioning that Tatum’s impeccable comedic timing would work wonders in the MCU.
It’s a win-win situation for every party involved.
The current state of the MCU is one of constant change and daring reinvention. While some may fear what this means for the continuity and consistency of the franchise, others can view it as an opportunity to bring new blood into the fold and breathe new life into these heroes. Having a new actor join such an esteemed and long-running series will give fans a fresh perspective on the familiar characters.