It's been over three years since we saw Channing Tatum's abs get splashed all over posters and trailers for Magic Mike XXL. The actor has since taken a slew of different roles that have not required shirtless scenes, including voice work in Smallfoot and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. However, he recently revealed he'd be totally down to slap on a thong to surprise fan at a Magic Mike Live show under one condition, noting:
Oh, yeah! I'm getting closer to back in shape, but if I'm ever back in shape, I promised the Magic Mike cast of Vegas and London that I will strap on the old thong again. I gotta do it soon because this old body isn't gonna do what it used to do anymore.
It's hard to imagine Channing Tatum not being in rock solid shape (while I suppose it's easy to imagine him in a thong thanks to his previous Magic Mike work); regardless, per his comments to ET we'll only see him try out some Magic Mike Live work if he gets into quote-unquote "shape."
Channing Tatum has been open fairly recently about gaining weight for Logan Lucky, the Steven Soderbergh movie he starred in in 2017. He's previously mentioned weight gain and getting soft related to the movie, noting that no one wants to see his character, Jimmy Logan, with his shirt off. Literally that's what he said about his weight gain as part of the role:
You definitely don't want to see Jimmy Logan with his shirt off, I can promise you that. We didn't design it like, 'Oh, Jimmy Logan's going to be out of shape,' but by the end of the movie I had put on, I dunno, 30-40 pounds and I was like, 'This is uncomfortable.' It was like actually painful. I did not like being that heavy.
In the time since, Channing Tatum has said he's "started eating better" as he prepares for roles like the oft-mentioned Gambit release. For now, though, he's set to play Superman in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, which in all honesty is probably the most ideal superhero role, as it means he gets to be Superman without dealing with all of the weight and working out crap.
So, perhaps getting in thong shape for Magic Mike Live will be left for another day. As it stands, the live show based on the movie franchise is very popular. In fact, it recently opened a second run in London and is set to play 5 nights a week at the London's Hippodrome Casino. And it's safe to say that Channing Tatum enjoys revisiting Magic Mike moments on occasion.
The movie franchise was originally even inspired by Channing Tatum's own work as a stripper in Florida when he was only 18. He's come a long way since then, and apparently, so has his waistline.
