UPDATE #2: After all that, Tatum has agreed to return to star in Gambit, officially signing a new, more lucrative contract with Fox. More details here.

UPDATE: The Wrap now says that Tatum is “planning” to leave Gambit, but has yet to officially depart the project. Stay tuned for more...

Lots of superhero news today, but not all of it is good (depending on your perspective): Channing Tatum has officially exited the Gambit solo movie, even though the actor recently appeared with the X-Men and Deadpool casts at Comic-Con, where he participated in a very memorable group selfie.

The Wrap brings the sad news of Tatum’s departure from the project, which he was (and still may be) producing with his partner Reid Carolin. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt is set to helm the X-Men spinoff / solo film, which is based on a treatment from X-Men comics writer and Gambit character creator Chris Claremont.

Tatum reportedly recently began screen-testing with actresses for a potential leading role, including Blue Is the Warmest Color and Spectre star Lea Seydoux. The actor has also been talking up his preparation for the role — including his accent and costume plans — in the media during his press rounds for Magic Mike XXL.

It’s unclear why Tatum has suddenly exited the project, though The Wrap cautions that a source close to production has said that Tatum’s reps are still in “active discussions” with Fox, but adds “something is up.” Something must have definitely gone awry for Tatum to leave the project so quickly, as it’s long been one of his passion projects and he’s been incredibly dedicated.

Gambit was set to begin shooting this fall for an October 7, 2016 release date, but if Tatum is totally off the film, Fox will have to act fast to replace him or they risk a major delay.

More From ScreenCrush