Channing Tatum’s Forgotten ‘Gladiator’ Replacement Is Entertaining Dads All Across the Globe

In an interview ahead of the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, director James Cameron revealed that the studio was gunning for Channing Tatum to land the lead role in the epic franchise. The actor had a higher profile at the time than Sam Worthington, who was eventually cast in the role of Jake Sully. Cameron said that Tatum did well for himself anyway, and that he shouldn't beat himself up about it. It was perhaps at the same time that he was cast in what might just be his strangest — and certainly his most uncharacteristic — role. Tatum broke out with the Step Up movies and rose to stardom with roles in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Magic Mike, and 21 Jump Street. None of those films would suggest Tatum would star in a period drama set roughly a century after the birth of Christ.