Channing Tatum thanks Ryan Reynolds in emotional tribute: ‘I owe him forever’

Channing Tatum can’t contain his appreciation for longtime friend Ryan Reynolds.

Taking to his Instagram on Monday, July 29, the Magic Mike star, 44, reflected on his friendship with the Deadpool star, 47, and thanked Reynolds for helping him bring his character Gambit to life with a cameo in the new film Deadpool & Wolverine.

Posting photos from their appearances at San Diego Comic-Con in 2015 and 2024, Tatum, who wore the same Gambit shirt in both images, wrote, “These pictures are almost 10 years apart to the day.”

“I sat in the audience when Ryan showed his first peek of Deadpool 1 to the world... I just hugged him and was like holy s*** you did it man. It’s perfect," he further reminisced. 

Despite not knowing Reynolds well back then, Tatum now considers him a close friend.

“There is almost no one that has had my back in this industry more than Ryan,” Tatum declared.

Tatum’s dream of a standalone Gambit movie, which he'd worked on for four years, was dashed when Disney bought Fox in 2019. 

In his post, Tatum shared his gratitude: “I thought I had lost Gambit forever. But he fought for me and Gambit. I will owe him probably forever. 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.”

Reynolds responded by sharing Tatum’s post on his Instagram Stories, praising him as a “one in a generation talent” and a “genuinely good man.”